Baby, Baby
by skellington13
Summary: Abby, listen, please." "No! I mean, i always thought you guys might have been on steriods but i never realised you were on crack as well. Jesus!" Paul and Abby's story.
1. Baby, Baby

Okay, this is my new Paul and Abby fic. Hope you all enjoy and please don't hesitate to review!

The flickering red light about the door of the small dirty bar claimed that it was called Joe's Spot

The flickering red light about the door of the small dirty bar claimed that it was called _Joe's Spot. _It was the type of place I loved, filled with interesting people who loved to tell interesting stories to interested girls with bright pink hair. I pulled open the door of the bar, trying to ignore the couple just inside who were pretty much having sex up against the wall of the hallway. I stepped past them, sending a disgusted look at Mark as he laughed out loud at the sight. He moved his eyebrows up and down at me, suggestively and I chuckled. Mark, my best friend and guitarist of our band, stepped in front of me and led the way towards the bar, ordering us all a drink. I settled on a barstool next to him, running a hand through my hair and glancing around, wondering who I could spend the night with and not be bored. These bars always had a majority of dirty old men who wanted nothing more than to stare at my breasts for three hours as I drank beer with them but for every five old men there was one young one actually worth my time and energy. All I had to do was find him.

I turned back to the bar, accepting the drink Mark was holding out to me with a smile and a nod of thanks.

"The bar guy said the owner's name is Joe, I'm going to try to find him." He told me.

"Joe, huh?" I chuckled. "Who'd have guessed?"

Mark rolled his eyes at me and motioned for the rest of the band to follow him. Alex and Dave obliged happily, their bass and guitar cases swinging by their sides. Mark's drum kit was still inside the car but we wouldn't need it for at least another hour. I turned my attention to the barman. His back was to me but he was tall, amazingly so. I had always though of myself as tall; I was considered a freak in high school because of my height, but this guy was at least a foot taller than me. I could see the definition of his muscles through the old grey t-shirt he was wearing and I leant over the bar slightly to get a better look at his bottom half. The jeans were snug but not sickeningly so. He was hot. As he turned I looked at his skin for the first time. He was Native American, with sharp features and dark eyes. He smiled at me and I pasted my flirtiest smile onto my face and smiled back.

"Hi. Can I help you with anything?" He asked. His voice was husky, and I felt my toes curl inside my Doc Martin boots at the sound of it. I loved a man with a husky voice. There was nothing in the world better than listening to a husky voice right next to your ear.

"Sure you can." I told him with a smirk. "But right now I'll have another Jack and Coke." He looked at me, a confused expression on his face, before nodding and turning to fill my drink. I watched him for a few seconds before turning my attention to the rest of the bar. Old men took up a lot of room but there was a table in the corner filled with people that looked young enough. They were laughing loudly, not paying attention to anything else in the bar except the conversation they were having. I watched wistfully for a few seconds before turning back to the bar, where my drink was sitting waiting on me. The barman had moved further down the bar, to talk to a tall, dark haired girl. She was also Native American and I frowned as I realised my chances with the barman had just dropped.

"Hey, Abby, we're on in fifteen." Mark called out to me from across the room. I nodded at him and downed my drink in two gulps before looking around the bar for the toilets. I spotted them, eventually, down a dark hallway and I rolled my eyes as I pushed open the heavy door to the Ladies. It looked like every other toilet I had seen in every other bar like this one. The cubicle doors didn't lock, the soap dispenser did not dispense soap but rather a yellowy liquid that made me turn my nose up and quickly wash my hands. There were no paper towels and the hand dryer had a handwritten sign stuck on to it saying that it was out of order. I rolled my eyes and threw my bag onto the small counter, looking at my reflection in the mirror. I shook my pink hair out, running my fingers through it and fluffing it slightly. My skin looked paler than usual in the artificial light and coupled with the bags under my eyes made me look like a walking skeleton. I sighed and pulled out my make up bag, brushing some pink blusher over my cheekbones. I lined my eyes with black kohl, smudging it until I had perfected the smoky eyes I strived for. Another coat of mascara and a single coat of dark red lip stain and I was finished with my face. The door of the bathroom opened and two women stumbled in, giggling. One was Native American, and I wondered briefly if she was the girl I had saw speaking to the barman. Her friend's skin was tan, but too light to have been fully Native. They shot me smiles when they caught my stare and I turned back to the mirror, trying to block out the conversation they were having about Paul and Sam and Jared and someone liking Paul but Paul liking someone else. It was the typical Saturday night gossip and after a dozen bars like this I had become bored with it. I pulled my red t-shirt over my head, throwing it into the bottom of my large bag. Using my quick wipes and some deodorant to make myself smell fresh again, I ignored the surprised looks on the girls' faces as they tried to look at anything other than the bare flesh on show. Not that much of it was bare, of course. The majority of my back was covered in brightly coloured flowers and swallows and my stomach was tattooed with a large koi fish. I pulled a green vest top out of my bag and shook the wrinkles out of it slightly before sliding it over my head. I covered it was a black and white checked halter top and nodded at myself in the mirror. I was ready to go. I threw my things back into the bag and threw it over my shoulder, heading for the door. I shot the two girls a smirk as I pulled the door open and stepped into the dark hallway again. There were three men blocking the end of the hallway and as I got closer to them I realised one of them was the barman. I cleared my throat loudly, smiling brightly when they turned to face me.

"You're in my way." I told them pointedly.

"Sorry." The bar man flashed me a smile; stunningly white teeth sharp against copper skin and I sighed inwardly. Such a beautiful man. I made to move pas them when I felt the whisper of a touch against my bare shoulder. I turned quickly, looking accusingly at the three of them but their arms were all by their sides. I did notice that the barman and one of his friends were smiling at me tensely while casting looks at their friend out of the corner of their eyes. The third man, his features unclear in the darkness of the hallway, was staring at me intensely with a heat that made a shiver run down my spine. I locked eyes with him, my own blue eyes faltering under the dark gaze.

"Hey, take a picture." An obnoxious voice sounded from behind me. I felt Alex's cold hand slide over my shoulder and pull me slightly towards him. "We're on now, Sweets."

"I'm coming." I assured him, following him across the bar. A brief glance back at the three men assured me that the third man was still staring at me while his two friends were staring at him. Alex jumped on stage, holding a hand towards me to help me up. I rolled my eyes and pulled myself up, ignoring his annoyed huff. I settled myself behind the microphone, sending a sultry smile to the group of men who had come to observe at the front of the stage.

"Hey there. My name's Abby and this first song we're going to sing for you is an old punk love song."

I listened for Mark's sure, steady drum beat. I closed my eyes, nodding my head and swinging my hips slightly.

"Ooh, you're so pretty; not to talk to you would be a crime; aah let me put my arms around you; just wanna use up a little of your time and I'm going… baby, baby, baby… baby, baby, baby… won't you be my girl? Ahh, you're eyes they're so pretty and the clothes you wear, they're so fine; ah won't you come around to my place; just wanna use up a little of your time and I'm going… baby, baby, baby… baby, baby, baby… baby, baby, baby… won't you be my girl?"

I ignored Alex as he came to stand beside me, playing his guitar and smiling at the table of girls that were watching him with interest. I continued to move, listening to the sound of the guitars and the beat of the drums and waiting for my cue.

"Baby, baby, baby… baby, baby, baby… baby, baby, baby… won't you be my girl?"

I smiled as the crowd cheered for us, the adrenaline rushing through my veins faster than imaginable. I curtsied slightly, winking at the crowd before launching into the next song.

The gig ended early and Mark and I sat at the bar; him counting the money Joe had given us and me nursing my sixth Jack and Coke. The barman was back and I motioned him over to me, the alcohol and adrenaline pulsing through me.

"Where's your creepy friend?" I asked him over the sound of the country song someone had put on the juke box. The barman chuckled and shook his head.

"Who, Paul? He's not creepy. Well, not usually. You just caught him off guard. I'm Jared, by the way."

"Abby." I shot him another flirty smile and he shook his head with a chuckle.

"Sorry to disappoint you but my girlfriend is sitting right over there." He motioned to the table in the corner and I shrugged.

"A girl can dream, huh?" He laughed again and I smiled at him, motioning for another drink.

"Don't you think six is enough?" Jared asked. I raised an eyebrow at him and laughed loudly.

"Well, if I did, I wouldn't be asking for another, would I?"

"She can handle her drink." Mark spoke from beside me. He handed me the neatly separated bills and smiled. "We did okay. Guy gave us 400. Of course, I think he's drunk stupid but hey, I wasn't going to argue with him."

I chuckled and watched as Mark winked at me, before turning to the red head that was sitting on his other side and launching into a conversation, pulling her attention away from a tall blonde man.

I heard a throat clear behind me and I turned in my seat to see creepy Paul, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. Raising an eyebrow, I motioned for him to take a seat next to me and watched as he gracefully sat down. He was, like Jared, astoundingly tall. His hair was slightly longer, ending just below his collar and I grinned. I loved a man with longish hair.

"Hey, I'm Paul." And oh my God his voice was even rougher than Jared's. It was husky but with a rough edge. I closed my eyes briefly, listening to his voice in my head, before opening them and grinning at him.

"Abby." I introduced myself with a smile and a wicked smile.


	2. Just Like Heaven

So here's the next chapter. Thanks to all the ppl who reviewed the first one. I'm glad you guys like it. please review this one as well.

"Man, I can't believe I let you guys talk me into coming. This place reeks of pot and sweat." Jacob's whiny voice grated on my nerves as I walked down the dark alley towards the small bar. I could vaguely hear Jared telling Jacob to suck it up but I tried to ignore them, my mind too full with the prospect of seeing Abby again. Every minute for the past week had been spent thinking about her and I knew I was beginning to bug the rest of the pack with my constant thoughts. While patrolling, Leah had threatened to castrate me if I didn't get the image of the pink haired woman out of my mind but it was impossible. I had tried and failed. Her face remained burned into my retinas and the pack were just going to have to deal with it. I didn't moan and groan about Jared's incessant mutterings about Kim or Sam's ever present thoughts of Emily; although I do admit that Quil's constant babbling about Claire irritated me and I was guilty of telling him to can it at least once a day but really, who wants to hear a nineteen year old guy cooing over a five year old?

"I'm going to find us a table." Embry smacked me on the arm and I nodded, distracted. I wandered around the club, keeping my eyes open for the telltale fuschia hair. I had done two laps of the bar before I heaved an angry and disappointed sigh. I had spotted her band members but there was no sign of her. I took a deep breath and located my friends, stomping towards them and throwing myself in to the corner seat, crossing my arms sullenly.

"Can't find her?" Jacob asked snidely. I glared at him, baring my teeth slightly, before looking away. Fighting Jacob in the middle of a bar was not the right way to go about impressing her and I knew it. I accepted the beer that Jared handed me and stared into it, depressed. She had told me she would be playing her tonight so where was she? We had talked for a brief, but amazing, twenty minutes last week before the drummer of her band had dragged her away. She had smiled widely at me; a sensual, seductive sort of smile that promised me things I had no right to hope for, before telling me to drop by the bar tonight, where she would be singing.

"Maybe she's in the toilets?" Jared suggested. I shrugged, trying to pretend I didn't care but I knew he would see right through me. Not only had Jared been my best friend for years, but he knew what it was like to imprint. He knew that no matter how nonchalant I tried to appear, inside my heart was busy trying to rip itself apart because I couldn't find her.

"Paul, you made it."

With four words I felt my entire body relax and lighten and I could tell there was a huge smile on my face by the snickers from my friends but I couldn't care less. I stood up and walked towards her, running my eyes over her body to ensure that nothing had happened to her in the past week.

"Abby, these are my friends. You already know Jared and this is Jacob, Embry and Quil. Guys, this is Abby."

She smiled at them, winking at Jared and I growled in his direction, too low for her to hear but loud enough for him to notice. He rolled his eyes at me and shrugged, leaning back in his seat.

"Night off?" She asked him with a smirk. I felt my heart plummet and I clenched my fists. Maybe she wasn't interested in me at all. Maybe she was using me to get to Jared. I felt torn between aching sadness and pure, unfiltered anger at the thought. How dare Jared try to come between me and my imprint? I missed their next few comments, so distracted with rage and jealousy and it was only when I felt her cool hand on my bare arm that I snapped out of my daze and turned to her, teeth still bared.

"Whoa there tiger. You okay?" She smiled at me jokingly but I could see the tension in her eyes.

"I'm fine. Why don't you let me buy you a drink?" I offered, taking her hand and pulling her away from Jared and my table of friends. I wanted her to myself.

We sat at the bar in silence for a few minutes, me sipping a beer and her taking two large gulps of her drink and then pouring the remains of it down her throat.

"So, how have you been?" She asked, running a hand through her hair. It was straightened tonight and I could smell a mixture of cherry blossom and lavender off it. It was an unusual combination but it smelt like the most amazing thing in the world and I took a deep breath, breathing her in as we sat there.

"Fine. Been working mostly. What about you?"

"Same old, same old. Working at the café during the day and singing at night. I'm exhausted but this is the last time I'm singing for a few weeks so I can get some rest."

I nodded, worry flooding my mind as I scanned her face, looking for proof of her exhaustion. In my eyes, she was the most perfect being.

"You look wonderful." I found myself murmuring, holding her gaze and watching a blush explode on her cheeks. She smiled, shyly, and ducked her head; clearing her throat and brushing her fingers through her hair once more.

"Thanks." She finally responded with a small wink. "You don't look so bad yourself."

"Hey, Abby, we're up."

I glowered at the drummer as he wrapped a hand around Abby's arm and tugged lightly. All my instincts were telling me to rip his hand off as a warning to him to never touch what was mine again but I managed to hold myself back when Abby shrugged his grip off and turned to me.

"That's my cue. I'll see you after, huh?"

I nodded at her, watching as she made her way towards the stage, her hips swaying as she walked. I sat on the bar stool and observed her climbing on to the stage and brushing herself down slightly before taking the microphone off one of the guitarists and smiling at the crowd. I had never heard of her band before but some people had and I could tell the ones who came to see them regularly by the way they stood close to the stage and waved when they caught a member of the band smiling at them. I missed her short introduction; too caught up in staring at her, but I watched as she nodded her head to the drum beat and I sighed as she began to sing in the most perfect, angelic voice I had ever heard. It was sweet, but slightly husky, and it suited her perfectly.

"Show me, show me, show me how you do that trick; the one that makes me scream she says, the one that makes me laugh, she said, threw her arms around my neck; Show me how you do it and I promise you, I promise that I'll run away with you…"

I had never heard the song before and I doubted I would ever be able to listen to the original again, so perfect was her rendition of it. Her eyes were closed as she sang and I could make out the faint sheen of sweat on her forehead.

"Spinning on that dizzy edge, I kissed her face and kissed her head, and dreamed off all the different ways I had to make her glow. Why are you so far away she said, why won't you ever know that I'm in love with you? That I'm in love with you."

She opened her eyes and her gaze swept across the small bar, her blue eyes landing on mine and she smiled as she sang, sending me a small wink. I felt my heart soar with that small gesture. She was singing to me and I grinned like a fool.

"You, soft and only, you, lost and long, you, strange as angels, dancing in the deepest ocean, twisting in the water you're just like a dream; your just like a dream…"

She continued to watch me as she sang and I could feel my heart beating rapidly. I was in some sort of a trance, caught up in her and only her and nothing could bring me out of it. I didn't care if a dozen blood suckers arrived in the bar; as long as they didn't interfere with Abby singing to me, they could do whatever the hell they wanted. She closed her eyes again as she finished the song and bowed slightly as the bar exploded in applause. She was so natural up there, as if she was made to be on a stage in front of people. She was larger than life and she was mine. Of course, she didn't realise that she was mine yet but in time she would. In time I would be able to tell her about the pack and imprinting and explain to her that the two of us were made for each other and nothing could break that bond.

I wandered back to the table my friends sat at and took the seat Jacob had vacated to go to the bar.

"Someone looks pleased with himself." Embry commented with a smirk. I just shrugged and turned my attention back to the stage. She sang for what seemed like forever and by the time she was, finally, finished I was itching to have her near me again. I watched her climb off the stage and watched her stop to talk to a few of the girls standing nearby. She headed straight for the bar and I stood up, ignoring my friends conversation, and followed her lead. She was standing, nursing another drink, when I approached, her back to me.

"Hey." She jumped lightly before turning, smiling up at me. "You were amazing."

"Thanks." She beamed. "You wanna a drink?"

She turned back to order the drinks and I watched as the guitarist from her band approached us, a scowl on his face.

"Hey, baby, we're ready to go." He glared at me as he reached around me to grab Abby's hand.

"Hey, what the hell are you doing?" She yelped, spilling the drink she had just lifted over her hand. "Alex!"

"We're leaving." He told her firmly, casting me another dirty look. I could feel the anger begin in the pit of my stomach and my fists clenched of their own accord.

"Alex, I'm not going anywhere." Abby told him angrily. "Now back off."

He glared at her for a few more seconds before turning on his heel and storming off, knocking into me as he passed. I growled and turned to grab him but Abby gripped my arm and tugged on it until I turned and looked at her.

"Sorry about that, Alex has been a jerk since we broke up." She shrugged. "He's a jealous prat. I only tolerate him because he's the best damn guitar player in Port Angeles."

"It's okay. He didn't hurt your hand did he?" I lifted her tiny hand with my own, much larger, one and inspected it as she chuckled.

"No, I'm fine. He's all bark and no bite. Like a small, yappy dog." She winked at me and I laughed.

"As long as you're okay." I told her and she nodded. "You want to go and get a table?"

"Sure." She led me across the bar to a dark corner, where there was a free, small table. I sat down, feeling huge and clumsy, and she sat across from me, stretching slightly.

"So, Paul, tell me about yourself." She started the conversation. I shrugged.

"There's not really much to tell. I live in a small reservation beside Forks, I've lived there all my life. What about you?"

She chuckled. "Well, I was born and raised in Seattle, and I moved to Port Angeles a few years ago. I still love the city but I wanted a slower pace, you know? Then I met Mark and he invited me to be in his band. That was about three years ago. I work in Maud's café during the day and I travel around a lot at night with the band. Usually just Seattle but still. So, what type of music do you listen to?"

"Anything really. I don't get a lot of down time to just listen to music so I've never really had time to form a real opinion on it. I hate dance music, thought. Hurts my head."

She smiled at me and nodded. "I can't stand dance music. It's the only form of music I don't like. I can totally listen to almost anything."

"Yeah, what's your favourite band?" I needed to know everything about her and I was so happy she had started the conversation. It made me seem less of a stalker when I broke into the twenty questions.

"Ooh, I have a few, actually. I love The Cure, that's who the first song was by, and I love The Clash and all those old school punk bands. God, there's so much many."

"What's your favourite colour?" I asked, taking a sip of my beer and trying to sound casual. I didn't want her to think I was being too inquisitive.

"Red." She told me. "What's yours?"

"Red too." I grinned at her. It was a total lie, my favourite colour was green, but she didn't need to know that.

"Since we're on completely irrelevant but interesting questions, what's your favourite ice cream flavour?" She asked me with a smile. I chuckled and shrugged.

"I'm a huge fan of Caramel Chew Chew." I answered her. She gave a full laugh, tilting her head back and letting it loose.

"I love Caramel Chew Chew." She told me. "And I love Cherry Garcia as well."

"Okay, favourite food?" I asked when she had finished chuckling. She beamed at me.

"Pasta with tuna and mayo. Yours?"

"I will eat anything you put in front of me." I told her honestly. She chuckled and raised an eyebrow.

"You'd eat anything?" I nodded and she raised an eyebrow. "So you're pig?"

"Hey, I'm a growing boy. I need my food." I told her with a laugh.

"Well maybe you should stop eating so much then because if you grow much more you won't be able to fit inside buildings." She was so serious that I had to laugh at her. She broke into a grin and I shrugged.

"That's okay, I like the outdoors."

"Hey, Paul, it's time for us to head back." I scowled at Jared as he placed a hand on my shoulder before turning back to Abby. She smiled softly at me, taking a napkin out of her pocket and a lipstick. She scrawled her number onto the paper and handed it to me.

"Call me if your in Port Angels during the day." She smiled at me. "If I only see you at night I might start thinking you're a vampire."  
I chuckled uneasily and nodded at her. "I'll give you a call."

She nodded back at me and stood, looking around the bar. She smiled at me, leaning up to kiss my cheek softly and I closed my eyes at the contact. It was so small, so subtle and it was no where near enough. I needed more. As she pulled away, I ignored my better judgement and slid my fingers through her hair and pulled her lips to mine, ignoring her small sound of surprise. She didn't fight me; I felt her lips curve into a smile beneath mine and I sighed against them. She was perfect. Her lips were soft and full and warm and perfect. I ran my fingers through her hair again before pulling back and looking down at her uncertainly.

"Wow." She looked impressed and I chuckled. "You should definitely give me a call next time you're in town."

Author's note: The song in this chapter, as mentioned, belongs to The Cure and the song in the last chapter belonged to th Vibrators. I don't own Paul or the other Werewolves.


	3. Blowin' in the Wind

The next chapter. I am in awe of all the amazing reviews i've recieved so far and i want to thank everyone for commenting. Please continue!

The song belongs to Bob Dylan

The wind howled around me and I pulled my denim jacket closer around my body, bending my head against the wind and feeling my newly dyed hair whipping against my face. It hadn't started raining yet, thankfully, but the sky was filled with heavy dark clouds and I didn't think it would stay dry for much longer. I picked up my pace, wanting to reach the café before I got soaked. I had agreed to meet Paul here for lunch and since I had been late on our last two dates, I wanted to be on time today. A smile sprung up on my face as I thought about him. He was so unlike the guys I was used to dating and I was still unsure of whether or not it was a good thing. Since the age of thirteen, every guy I had gone out with had been a musician or into music in a big way. Listening and playing music in bands was how I had spent the majority of my adolescent and the people in my life now reflected that.

But Paul was so different and it was both exciting and scary. I knew where I stood with guys in bands. I knew how to handle them; how to pander to their ego and how to shoot them down but Paul was a whole other ball game and I couldn't help but think it was out of my league. I finally reached the café and pushed open the door, stepping inside just as a huge crack of thunder sounded and a spike of lightening cracked the grey clouds open. Huge, glassy raindrops began falling and bouncing off the ground and I sighed in relief, turning to survey my surroundings. Paul wasn't here yet and I smiled, sliding into a booth beside a window, leaning my cheek on the palm of my hand and watching the rain bouncing off the road.

"Can I get you anything dearie?" An elderly waitress, whose nametag said Maria, asked me with a smile. I shook my head and returned her smile, telling her I was waiting on someone first. She nodded at me and walked slowly away as I watched. My dad and step mom were convinced I was going to end up like that; working a minimum wage job for the rest of my life while chasing after impossible dreams. I could almost hear my dad's voice in my head, sternly telling me that I needed to go to college and grow up.

The ancient jukebox in the corner was playing an old Joy Division song and I tapped my fingers against the table in time to the beat, singing softly to myself as I waited. And waited.

Twenty minutes later I was glancing at my watch for the sixth time and I could feel my anger rising when the door opened and Paul strode inside, his hair wet and sticking to his face. His shirt was open, the blue material sticking to the white undershirt he wore and he wore cut off jeans again. I glared at him as he came closer, his mouth open in an apology.

"I'm sorry. My meeting ran over." He slid into the booth facing me, a wide grin on his face and I sighed. I could feel forgiveness bubbling in my stomach and I pouted. I didn't want to give in this quickly. I didn't want to forgive him just yet.

"Hey, you okay?" He stroked the back of my hand where it lay across the table and my scowl deepened before pulling it away.

"You're twenty minutes late, Paul." I reminded him. "I'm a little pissed off."

He hung his head slightly, running his hands through his growing hair. I smiled at the sight of the silver bracelets wrapped around his wrist, impressed that he was actually wearing them.

"I'm sorry." He told me again, softer than the first time. "But let's not forget who was late the first two dates."

I opened my mouth to argue with him before closing it again and shrugging. "Guess we're even."

"How? I was late once, you were late twice. I get another get out of being late free card." He told me with a grin that was so infectious that I couldn't help but return it.

"Yeah, but I'm a girl. I'm allowed to be fashionably late a few times. It keeps boys like you on your toes."

"Oh, is that like a girl rule or something?" He was openly laughing now and his dark eyes were lit up with mirth. He was stunning.

"Of course." I nodded. "Now let's order, I'm starving."

Paul raised a hand in the air, motioning for the waitress to take our order.

"You're not seriously going to eat all that." I told Paul once he had placed his, huge, order. He shrugged and nodded.

"Didn't I tell you I was a growing boy?" He grinned at me and I chuckled, nodding.

"But still, I didn't think you were serious."

"Completely." He told me. "Anyway, never mind the food. How was your gig?"

I smiled, stretching my arms in front of me before settling against the back of the seat. I opened my mouth to reply but as I was moving my eyes over him I picked up on the fact that he was still soaking wet.

"Jesus, Paul, you're going to get sick." I told him. He looked confused before following my eyes to his wet clothes and hair. He shrugged and shook his head.

"No, I'll be fine."

"Paul, you're soaking wet." I told him. "You need to get out of those wet clothes."

"Are you trying to proposition me, Abby?" His face was smirking but I heard the underlying heat in his voice and I was glad that I didn't blush very often. I winked at him and shrugged one shoulder.

"Maybe I am."

He chuckled and ran a hand through his hair. "Anyhoo, back to the topic at hand. How was the gig? And stalkers?"

I giggled and shook my head.

"Nope, not even one. I got on stage, sang my cold black heart out and then left."

He looked at me, one eyebrow quirked and I shrugged. "I just wasn't feeling it. Alex kept bothering me so I left."

"He was bothering you?" I had noticed, in the past few weeks, that when Paul got angry, his hands began to shake and that's exactly what they were doing right now. I wondered, very briefly, if it was dangerous to get involved with such an openly jealous person. I dismissed the thought as Paul closed his eyes for a few seconds and took a deep breath. Leaning back against the chair, I watched as he composed himself before opening his eyes and smiling tightly at me.

"So what's the deal with Alex anyway?" He tried to sound calm but I could hear the tense undertones in his words. I took a deep breath and sighed. I usually tried to avoid talking about ex-boyfriends with current flames but if he really wanted to know.

"You really want to know?" He nodded at me, taking a deep breath as the waitress delivered our food. We ate in silence and I took the opportunity to study him as he ate. He took huge mouthfuls of his eggs and sausage and then huge gulps of milk before taking a massive bite out of his toast. I raised an eyebrow as I bit into my own toast. His dark head was bent over his plate, his attention focused completely on what he was putting into his mouth.

Despite his meal being three times as big as mine, Paul was finished by the time I began scooping my eggs into my mouth and he watched me as I quickly finished my meal.

"So." Paul started as soon as I had pushed my plate away. "Tell me about Alex."

"Why are you so interested?" I asked. Paul flushed slightly and shrugged.

"I just want to know as much as possible about you."

Silence fell as Maria the waitress picked up our plates.

"Could we get some coffee please?" I asked Maria and she smiled at me sweetly and nodded.

"It's not a huge deal, okay?" I told him, lifting a napkin and shredding it absently between my fingers as I processed the thoughts in my head.

"I met Alex when I was about fourteen and we've been on and off since then. We finished for good a year ago." I sighed and accepted the coffee Maria held out to me. "Alex was in a band with Mark and a guy called Kennedy and when I met them they asked me to sing for them so I did. Then Alex and I began getting closer and closer and when I turned fifteen we started dating for real. We were really close for about a year and a half and then the trouble started."

"Trouble?" Paul wasn't looking at me; instead his gaze was fixed on the hand clenched around his coffee cup.

"Nothing major. He started acting funny and after a few weeks I realised he was cheating on me with a girl called Mandy. She still shows up at gigs every now and then. Anyway, we ended it but every time one of my relationships ends, we end up messing around." I shrugged, taking a sip of coffee. "It's nothing meaningful and never when I'm with another guy. It's just a casual arrangement. Good for both of us."

Paul was staring at me now with a funny look on his face. "You're his fuck buddy?"

He spat the words out angrily and I recoiled as his face registered his disgust.

"Hey, don't judge me." I retorted in annoyance. "I'm a consenting adult and I want to have a friend with benefits then I can. Just because we've been on a few dates doesn't mean that I have to justify myself to you."

He glared for a few seconds before rising quickly. "I have to go."

"What…"

I watched as he slammed the door open and stormed out into the lashing rain, head bowed against the wind. I stared after him in shock. It was only after I paid the bill, that he had conveniently forgotten, and left the café that my anger began to set in. I could feel it in my stomach, churning and bubbling, as I strode across the street and towards my apartment. Who the hell did he think he was? Was he so perfect that he could look down on me for something as simple as that?

The rain was still pounding against the roof when I let myself into the apartment, slamming the door behind me and ignoring the cranky yell of my neighbour. I threw my bag onto the old armchair and began stripping off my wet clothes as I made my way towards my bedroom. I started the shower and turned my record player on, putting an old Bob Dylan record on to play and leaving the bathroom door open as I showered. As _Blowin' In The Wind_ played throughout my house I could feel myself relaxing. I sang along quietly as I dressed in my warmest clothes; old, ripped jeans and a heavy black jumper that had belonged to my mom.

"Yes and how many times must the cannonballs fly before they're banned? The answer my friend, is blowing in the wind. The answer is blowing in the wind."

I sang as I padded around the room, picking up my dirty clothes and dropping them into the hamper. I really needed to wash them, I was almost out of clean jeans because I had been lazy recently.

"Yes and how many times can a man look up before he can see the sky? Yes and how many ears must one man have before he can hear people cry?"

I was dragging my laundry towards the front door when I heard the gentle tapping sound and I froze, mid note, with my mouth hanging open as I searched for the origins of the noise. It came again, from the kitchen, and I made my towards it. I looked around the kitchen for a feasible weapon and picked up the baseball Alex had left here months ago, swinging it in my hands for practise before heading towards the window. My apartment was on the third floor of the complex and the back of it boarded onto a dense forest area so as I entered the kitchen I tried to assure myself that the gently tapping sound was a tree branch hitting against the window and I almost screamed in terror at the sight of Paul sitting, perfectly balanced, on one of the thicker branches.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I hissed as I threw open the window. He climbed in gracefully, shaking out his hair and spraying me and the floor with water. He smiled at me sheepishly as I glared at him,

"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I shouldn't have taken off like that but the thought of you and Alex and… I'm sorry. I have a bit of a temper." He was flushed and as he apologized he reached for my hand, curling it inside his own, much larger one. His hand was amazingly warm and I hissed slightly at the contact before relaxing into the touch. Paul's temperature, I had noticed, ran noticeably higher than anyone's I had ever met. He was, literally and figuratively, smoking hot.

"Look, we need to get a few things straight." I told him, pulling my hand away. I slammed the window closed again and shivered, making my way towards the living room. I glanced around and flushed suddenly when I realised that my laundry had left a trail behind; a trail of lace panties and silk bras. It was lying across the hall as we moved past it and I prayed Paul wouldn't notice but naturally he did. The sound of a snicker made me scowl at him and he straightened his face as he followed me.

"Nice undies." He smirked.

"Too bad an attitude like that means you never get to see them on me." I retorted, sitting facing me.

"I'm more interested in getting them off you." He replied with a wicked grin.

"Yeah? Maybe you had a chance. Until you stormed out like a psycho stalker at the café, leaving me to pay by the way." I told him. The smirk fell off his face and he frowned, looking down.

"I know and I'm sorry. I had no right to act like that. It's just, I have a little bit of a temper and the thought of that loser being near you just irked me. It won't happen again."

"It had better not." I warned him. "Now, you want a cup of coffee?"

"I'd love one." He grinned at me, standing and following me towards the kitchen again. "Hey, are you really not going to pick all those up?"

"Nope." I replied, with a confidence that I didn't really feel. I tossed him a wink over my shoulder and continued down the hall.

Author's Note: I have found my perfect Paul. His name is Eric Schweig. he's a little old now but search for pix of him in Last of the Mohicans. He's perfect!


	4. Look After You

Next chapter! Thanks for all the nice reviews. i'm glad you guys like the story. Please read and review this chapter.

"You know, I remember the days when we went to bars once a year. These days it seems like I live in this place."

I rolled my eyes and fought not to shoot Jacob a dirty look. His latest girlfriend had broken up with him this morning, due to his lack of commitment to the relationship, and he had been in a sour mood since; despite the fact that he hadn't even really liked the chick. Sometimes I was sure Jacob just liked the sound of his own voice yapping.

"Shut up, Jake." Jared sighed. "I have to work and Paul wants to meet Abby. No one dragged you here against your will. You could have stayed in La Push and moped, like you have done every night for the past thousand years."

Jacob rolled his eyes at Jared and strode towards the only empty booth in the bar; a dark table in the far corner of the bar with a perfect view of the stage. I grinned and scanned the bar; looking for the recently dyed dark red hair. She was no where to be seen, again, and I followed Jacob towards the table. She had text me earlier and said she might be a little late arriving, since she had been dragged to a dinner party hosted by her step mom and she couldn't get out of it. I was impressed that she had actually text. Normally she just showed up late with a bright smile and without apologies.

"So, what's Abby like?" Embry asked as we sat down. Jared had gone to start work but had sent one of the guys who picked up glasses over to the table with a tray of beers and I lifted one from the middle of the table, gulping half of it down with one swallow.

"She's amazing." I said simply with a shrug. Embry and Jacob rolled their eyes but Quil, at least, nodded at me to show he understood. Amazing was an understatement but it was the closest word I knew that described Abby. She was perfection wrapped up in a beautiful, sarcastic and sometimes insane package and I loved her. I hadn't told her I loved her yet; it had only been a few weeks and the last thing I wanted was to scare her away, but I would tell her soon.

"Give us some details, dude. We want to know that this chick is at least worth us coming out here and spending all our money." Embry groused again.

"I didn't ask you to come." I retorted and he rolled his eyes at me.

"Like you'd have come by yourself?"

I didn't reply, knowing that Embry was merely looking for an excuse to mock me and that I would end up angry and Jacob and Quil would drag me back to La Push without seeing Abby. I knew why they were here; I always knew why I was rarely allowed to venture out of La Push alone. Sam feared that one day my anger would over take my common sense and I would phase in front of someone; exposing the entire group to unwanted attention. Although my anger was as much a part of me as my wolf side was, I hated it. I hated the fact that I had such weak control over my emotions and that I was seen as the weak link in the pack, even more so than the younger wolves. But there was nothing I could do about it. My temper and bad attitude was always there, just under the surface, and nothing could quell it.

But the pack had little to fear. I may be an angry person but I'm not stupid and I would never risk exposure. Instead, when I get angry, I run away from whatever has angered me so that I can phase in privacy and with no risk. It was why I had run from the café, from Abby, last week.

I could still hear her casual voice, explaining to me that Alex was her 'friend with benefits' and I felt my hands shaking slightly at the memory and quickly placed them on my legs, away from the eyes of the rest of the pack. Jacob and Embry were busy checking out the girls in the bar and Quil had gone up to get us more drinks. I couldn't stand the thought of Alex anywhere near my Abby, let alone in her bed. My lip curled up in disgust at the thought of him touching her and kissing her. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath in an attempt to calm myself, focusing on the fact that it was me, not Alex, who kissed Abby and who touched Abby. It was me she send flirty messages to, who was on the receiving end of her most stunning smile and who she often kept up to after two in the morning, talking on the phone about the most random topics she could come up with. I smiled at the thought. She had an amazing mind, my Abby, and it moved at the speed of light.

"Isn't that your girl?" I looked up at the sound of Jacob's voice and glanced towards the door of the bar, where the band had just entered, Alex leading the way, his hand pulling Abby along with him. I felt the anger flood my system suddenly and I tried to focus on the two supportive hands on my shoulders.

"Relax, dude. I doubt it means anything." Embry tried to sooth me but there was no point. I watched silently as Abby stumbled slightly and the drummer, Mark, caught her easily. The motion caused Alex to drop her arm and he turned quickly to pick it up again but there was a brief exchange of words between him and Mark before he scowled and stormed off, leaving Mark to lead Abby. I was suddenly worried as she stumbled again and I shrugged off the hands on my shoulder, quickly making my way towards her. Mark spotted me first and smiled, nodding in acknowledgement as I came to a stop before him. Abby spun on the spot, loosing her balance and almost falling with a giggle.

"I'm such a klutz today." She giggled, steadying herself by placing both arms on my biceps. "Wow, nice muscles."

She looked up at me and smiled and I caught a sudden whiff of stale alcohol on her breath and winced. Her eyes were blurred and unfocused as she looked at me and her smile had a vagueness about it that was unsettling.

"Dude, she is so far drunk it's not funny." The bassist, Dave, handed Abby a glass of water with a shake of his head. "Will she be okay to sing?"

"I'll be fine." Abby protested. "I'm just a little tipply."

I had stood in silence until then, letting Abby's cold hands rest on my warm skin and reassuring myself that Alex holding her hand had meant nothing but my curiosity and worry got the better of me.

"Are you okay?" I asked softly, leaning down until we were eye level. Her eyes, unfocused, caught mine and she shot me a huge smile.

"You're so pretty Paul." She told me seriously. "I wish I had eyelashes like yours, they're immense."

I stared at her, taken back by her nonsensical words, before turning to look at Mark, Dave and the newly arrived and scowling Alex.

"Why is she so drunk?" The question was soft but I tried to put as much anger into as possible without over doing it. I knew it worked when Dave gulped and glanced at his bandmates before looking back at me.

"She went for dinner at her parents house." He said it as if it explained everything and I growled slightly.

"And? Did they eat vodka?"

"Apparently the little Indian doesn't know everything about our fair Abby." Alex retorted viciously, a smirk now replacing the scowl. He stroked the back of Abby's arm, pulling her hands of my arms. Her nails bit into my skin suddenly as she turned to glare at him.

"Back off dude." She told him. She turned back to me, her face paler than usual suddenly and I slid my hands to her hips, holding her steady. "I think I need to sit down, Paul."

I nodded and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, leading her towards a dark, secluded table in the corner and settling her into a chair. She rested her elbows on the table, taking no notice of the fact that there was spilt beer where her left one sat, and leant her head on her hands, staring at me calmly as I took a seat across from her. It was how we spent so much of our time, sitting across tables from each other, than it was second nature by now. She always sat on the left and I on the right.

"Why are you so drunk?" I asked her quietly. Mark had followed us over and he placed the pint of water on the table, pressing his fist against my shoulder as he passed with a reassuring smile. It was good to know that at least one of her band mates could take care of her. She sipped the water slowly, still staring at me.

"You're really good looking, Paul. I mean it. Why the hell are you so intent on someone that looks like me?"

It came as such a surprise to hear the normally confident voice soft with self derision and uncertainty that I openly balked at the question.

"What do you mean, looks like you? Abby, you're the most beautiful woman in the world." I replied honestly, reaching over to take on of her small hands. It was cold against the heated skin of mine and I sighed as her fingers curled and uncurled against my large palm, her nails skimming the skin every so often and sending a shiver down my back.

"Paul, if you want to get into my pants, all you have to do is ask. And maybe buy me another drink." Her voice was no longer quiet. Her words were slurred and she burped softly, making me wince. My sense of smell was so acute that I could smell the unpleasant alcohol from where I sat. She winked at me and I sighed.

"Maybe I should take you home." I suggested. She was in no condition to get on stage, she would end up falling and breaking her neck and then I would have to hurt someone. Alex seemed like a good target, I mused silently as I moved towards Mark.

"I'm taking her home." I told him, making sure that my voice left no room for argument. He nodded, and clapped me on the back once more.

"Look after her for me, man." He told me. "I'll cancel the show."

I nodded and walked towards my friends. They had been joined by four scantily clad women and while Embry and Jacob looked as if they were having enormous fun, Quil looked as though he was dieing of boredom.

"I'm taking Abby home." I told Quil softly, ignoring the irritatingly high pitched giggles of the group of girls. He nodded glumly and told me to be careful. I nodded towards Jared, behind the bar, before making my way back towards Abby.

"Ready to go?" I asked her. She nodded at me, a smile on her lips that suggested she was trying to be coy but failing because of her drunkness. I chuckled and helped her up, wrapping my arm around her small body.

"How far is your apartment from here?" I asked softly, stroking her hair back from her face. She scrunched up her face in thought and I sighed inwardly at how adorably young she suddenly looked.

"Fifteen minute walk… that way!" She had turned in three full circles, her finger pointed in the distance, before stopping and pointing east. I sighed, unsure if she was being truthful, before setting off in that direction, supporting her weight the whole time.

She was silent as we walked and I was relieved to see that her guess had been accurate. Her apartment block was dark as we stood at the door, Abby slowly going through the contents of her bag to find the key. I sighed and tried to pull the bag away from her but she clutched it to her chest, glaring at me through thick lashes.

"A woman's bag is extremely private, Paul." She scolded me. "A man should never look in it without permission."

"I'm sorry." I mock apologised, getting impatient. I had never dealt with a drunk person before and I found it extremely annoying. The pack was so hot that we automatically sweated off any alcohol we drank and neither Kim or Emily were big drinkers. I had seen, in the time that I had known her, that Abby liked to drink a lot but she had never been more than a little tipsy in my presence and I found myself wondering exactly how much alcohol she had consumed to leave her like this.

Once inside the building, I helped her up the stairs and towards her own apartment, gently taking the keys out of her hand once we reached the door and guiding her inside.

"Go get some water." I ordered her. She complied silently, heading towards the kitchen in a slow, uneven stumble. I threw her bag and coat onto a chair in the living room and switched her radio on, knowing that it was the first thing Abby did when she came home. She was singing along to the song playing when she returned, still swaying slightly on her feet, and I moved to lower her down into a chair before she fell and hurt herself. I wanted desperately to know what her parents had done or said to make her want to drown her sorrows so much but it would be easier to get a straight answer out of a stone. She stared at me as I kneeled in front of her, her face suddenly serious.

"You never answered me." She commented softly. I stared at her for a few seconds, wondering how she could possibly be so stupid as to think that she wasn't the most perfect, beautiful human being on the face of the planet.

_Oh, oh, oh _

_Oh, oh, oh_

_Be my baby_

_Oh, oh, oh_

_I'll look after you_

"You're so beautiful." I assured her, running my fingers through her dark red hair. She sighed, settling her cheek against my palm and closing her eyes.

"What are you doing to me, Paul?" She barely whispered the sentence but I heard it and I sighed. I moved closer to her, pulling her up and settling her on my lap, wrapping my arms around her and burying my nose against the soft skin of her neck as she sighed again.

"You are the single most beautiful thing in this world." I told her.

_If ever there was a doubt_

_My love she leans into me_

_This most assuredly counts_

_She says most assuredly_

"I don't know how to do this." She told me after a few seconds of silence, her listening to the music and me listening to her unsteady heartbeat. I looked at her in surprise when she spoke, reaching my hand to her hair again and stroking the silken strands.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't do relationships well; I always mess them up." She spoke bitterly and refused to look at me when I tried to turn her to face me. "I always push people away, usually within a week or so. Why are you still here?"

"You haven't tried to push me away." I reminded her softly.

"I know!" She exclaimed, trying to pull out of my embrace. She stood unsteadily on her feet for a few seconds before she began pacing, moving her hands as she spoke. "And I don't know why! I can't explain why I don't want to push you away! It would be so much easier if you had just wanted to fuck me and then leave. I can deal with that. It's normal, comfortable. It's what I expect from guys that approach me now. This whole thing, between me and you, it's too intense, too… too deep. I don't know what I'm doing anymore." She stopped and stared at me, her eyes now focused and alert.

"Why can't I push you away Paul?"

I stared at her in surprise, unsure of how to react to this outpour. I was ecstatic that she felt something for me, something deep in her heart that refused to let her ruin our budding relationship but there was a part of me that was saddened and angry thats he wanted me to be interested only in a physical relationship. I wanted her, more than I had ever wanted anything in my life, but more than that I wanted her to mine. I wanted to be able to claim her; to say that she was mine and that she was never going to leave me.

"You don't want to push me away, Abby." I reminded her. She shot me an angry look and threw herself on to my lap again, her slim arms slipping around my neck. Her breath was cool against the hot skin there and I closed my eyes at the sensation.

"I know." She sighed. I felt her breath fan against my neck, uneven for a few minutes before it evened out and I realised that she was asleep. I smiled and lifted her easily, carrying her into the bedroom. I stripped her out of her clothes, focusing on getting her into the short set I found instead of on the expanse of exposed white skin, covered with beautifully coloured ink designs.

"I'm not going anywhere." I assured her as I settled her against the pillows and turning out the lights. In the darkness I made my way to the door, to turn out the lights in the hallway before climbing in behind her and settling my arm over her body.

Disclaimer: i don't own anyone but the band and Abby. The characters you recognise belong to Stephanie Meyer and the song belongs to The Fray


	5. Will You Be My Girl

Next chapter. Abby's drunken behaviour is explained. Hope you all enjoy.

When I woke the next morning it was to the sun streaming in through the open curtains. I groaned and groped around on my nightstand for my eye mask without opening my eyes. Finally locating it I lifted my head to place it over my eyes and groaned at the sudden influx of pain. A marching band starting playing in my brain, using my head as its drums and I grimaced. How much had I drank last night?

Something stirred beside me as I placed the mask over my eyes and I froze, caught midway between sitting up and lying down.

"You okay?" A gruff voice sounded close to my ear, warm breath heating my shoulder and making me relax and pull the eye mask off. Paul was laying across the bed, his feet dangling off the end. He was shirtless and before I answered him I allowed my eyes to scan the perfectly sculptured contours of his stomach and chest.

"I'm fine." My voice was cracked and huskier than usual and I flushed, lying down again. My memories from the night before were a little murky and I couldn't remember, for the life of me, how Paul and I managed to get here. I vaguely remembered the walk to the house but everything after that was a blur.

"Remember much?" He asked me softly, his hand coming up to rest against my cheek. He ran his fingers through my hair and it came back to me suddenly, in broken flashes. I closed my eyes and groaned. "I'm a drunken idiot."

Paul chuckled and nodded, leaning on his elbow so that he was looking down at me. His gaze was so intense for a second that I stopped breath and concentrated only on him.

"You're a beautiful drunken idiot." He told me. I huffed and hit him with the pillow, giggling when he used one hand to pin me down and the other to tickle me. Loud shrieks filled my room as his fingers found the spot on my hip where I was most ticklish.

"Stop! Paul, stop! I'm going to pee myself." I threatened through my laughter. He stopped and smiled down at me, his dark eyes filled with an emotion I refused to acknowledge. I wasn't ready for that emotion yet. It had only been three weeks. In my world, people had to know each other for a lot more than three weeks to even consider that emotion. I pushed him off me with a groan and threw my legs over the side of the bed.

"I need to pee." I told him as I headed for the bathroom. I turned back at the door, just in time to see him stretch, and my mouth dropped. His arms were over his head and his eyes were closed but I couldn't pull my focus away from the shifting of the muscles beneath the perfectly tanned skin of his stomach. My mouth was suddenly dry and as he replaced his arms by his side I rushed out of the room, not wanting him to catch me staring.

I stared at my reflection in the bathroom mirror, mortified that Paul had seen me like this. The gel I had used in my hair the night before was now making it stick out at all sorts of odd angles and my eye make up was halfway down my cheek. I brushed my teeth quickly and attempted to finger comb my hair into a somewhat sensible style before tackling the make up. How could he have possibly called me beautiful when I looked like this? I looked like the Bride of Frankenstein. I frowned and spat out the toothpaste, and quickly removed the eye make up from my cheek and eyes, humming to myself. I could hear Paul moving around in the bedroom and I half hoped he was putting clothes on. Seeing so much delectable skin this early in the morning and while I had a hangover was not a good idea. There was no telling what I would do when my defences were low. At the same time, it was a sin to keep that gorgeous body covered, I mused.

With my appearance somewhat normal, I opened the door. I shrieked when I realised Paul was leaning against the wall right outside, smiling. I put my hand on my heart, feeling the hard, fast beat and scowled at him.

"You scared the crap out of me."

"I'm sorry." He smirked, leaning down so that we were eye level. I smacked his shoulder lightly and moved out of the doorway to let him in. I could hear him chuckling to himself as he closed the door and I shook my head.

My red numbers on my alarm clock said that it was only 9.15 and I groaned. Usually when I had a hangover I lay in bed until at least one and then I loafed about the house all day, doing nothing except listen to music and drink coffee and enjoying myself. I frowned as I gazed at my clothes from last night, a memory on the edge of my mind. I strode back towards the bathroom again and banged on the door a few times.

"Hey, Paul, did I play last night?"

The door opened and his head appeared. I caught a glimpse of his bare shoulders and was left momentarily speechless as a single drop of water slid down his neck and across the broad expanse.

"No, you didn't" He replied. "Mark cancelled the show and I brought you home. You were too wasted to play."

I flinched at the words even though they had been delivered in a completely non judgemental tone. I nodded at him and turned away, silently cursing myself for being that stupid and getting that drunk. Alex would never let me live this one down and Mark was bound to be pissed at me.

I wandered into the living room, digging around in my bag until I found my phone. I had four missed phone calls and three text messages. Three of the phone calls were from Alex and one was from Mark. The text messages were from other friends of mine, wanting to know why we hadn't played last night.

I dialled Mark's number and held my breath while the phone rang. He didn't pick up and I sighed, leaving him a message to ask him to call me back. When I turned around again Paul was leaning against the doorway, his arms folded in a way that showed off the definition of each muscle in his arm.

"You alright?" He asked softly. I nodded at him, slightly distracted.

"I'm going to go and get dressed and then I'm going to make some breakfast."

"Great, I'm starving." He smiled widely at me and I found myself returning it. It was amazing how young he looked when he smiled like that. Paul's face was rarely so open and free and I found that I lov… liked it. A lot. I rushed towards my bedroom, closing the door behind me and stripping out of my clothes. I slid on my most comfortable pair of jeans and an old wife beater that belonged to Mark. It was too wide at the arms and was too baggy to wear in public but it suited me for my day of lazing around the apartment.

"Hey, scrambled eggs and bacon okay?" I called to Paul as I passed the living room. I could hear the sounds of cartoons and I sniggered slightly. So big, manly Paul liked his cartoons. That was interesting.

"Whatever you're having is fine."

I led out a loud, undignified and very girly screech when I heard his voice directly behind me and he began laughing loudly. My heart was pounding again, I could hear it in my ears.

"Jesus, Mary and Saint Joseph are you trying to kill me?" I squealed at him, slapping him on the shoulder with little success. He simply lifted my hand off his chest and brought it up to his mouth, kissing the palm softly.

"You're going to feel so guilty when I die of a heart attack." I pouted at him. He chuckled again as I turned back to the food. He leaned against the counter and watched me as I moved around the kitchen, making the food and coffee. I dry swallowed two Advil and poured two glasses of juice, handing them to Paul and ordering him to bring them into the living room.

The smell of the bacon made my stomach growl loudly and I could hear Paul chuckling in the living room.

"Stupid Paul with his stupid sensitive hearing." I muttered. His chuckles got louder and I smiled. He came back into the kitchen to take the coffee off me and as I passed him the cups he leaned down to kiss me softly on the lips. I sighed slightly and leaned closer to him, frowning when he pulled away. He winked at me and lifted the cups out of my hand, strolling out of the room while whistling under his breath. I rolled my eyes in amusement and picked up the pan, dishing the food onto the plates, ensuring that I gave Paul at least three times as much as I gave myself. We had gone out for food a few times and I had noticed that the boy could eat.

"Bon appetite." I sat the plate on the table beside him and took a seat next to him. I could feel the heat of his body wash over me and I sighed, content to snuggle slightly closer and relax against him as I ate.

We were silent as we ate the food, both of us watching the old Johnny Bravo cartoon.

It was a few hours later when Paul finally asked the question I had been dreading. We were lying on the sofa, facing each other and he was gently massaging my feet.

"So, when are you going to tell me why you were so drunk last night?" He asked quietly. I looked away from the DVD we were watching and sighed.

"Do I have to?"

"I want to know what upset you so that I can make sure it never happens again." His voice was soft but fierce and I groaned with realization that he wasn't going to give up.

"I had to go to my parents house for a dinner party so I had a few drinks before hand to steel my nerves." I told him.

"A few drinks does not a drunken Abby make." Paul retorted. "I've seen you after a few drinks and you're a world apart from how you were last night."

"Fine. You want to know? I can't go within three miles of my parents house unless I'm so drunk that I'm numb. My step mom hates me. She's hated me since the day she married my dad for his money and she still hates me now. And you know what, I don't care. Because I hate her too." I was almost shrieking now and I could see the surprise in Paul's eyes as my voice got gradually louder. "But she still has to invite me over because she doesn't want my dad to know that our relationship is worse than Cinderella's and the wicked step mother's." His lips quirked at this slightly and he reached over and took my hand, lifting it to his lips and kissing it softly a few times. I could feel that soft kiss in my very bones and I fought not to sigh.

"So you got drunk because you hate her?" He asked when he realised I wasn't saying anything else. I shook my head, wondering how to explain.

"She thinks I'm nothing. She has these two kids, Charlotte and Adrienne, who are honour list students with these huge dreams to be lawyers or doctors or something like that. Then there's me, the girl she was stuck with because she married my dad for his money. I was the consolation prize that came along with him, you know? And I've never shown any real interest in having some high powered job and working my life away. I want to live, you know? I want to travel. So my dreams are stupid and frivolous and she thinks I waste my time being in the band. And since she has my dad wrapped around her bony little finger, he agrees with her. Ever since I was sixteen he's been telling me I need to wise up and go to college, get a good job. Any maybe one day I will want to go to college, I mean I haven't completely ruled it out but right now I'm happy with my life. I own this place and I'm far from stupid, I can get a good enough job if I really tried." I took a deep breath and ran a hand through my hair. Paul was watching my carefully, still clasping my fingers in his. "But they can't see that. All they can see is that one of their kids is messing up the perfect family reputation. Every time I go back for dinner or something like last night there are snide remarks from my step mom and sharp words from my dad when he realises I'm still not doing anything worthy with my life. So experience has taught me that it's better to go when I'm blind drunk than when I'm sober. It makes the whole experience more amusing and it gives Susan something to moan about to her friends while she spends my dad's money and it gives my dad an excuse to treat me as if I'm a three year old behaving badly rather than a nineteen year old trying to live her own life. So I got drunk on a bottle of vodka before I went and then I drank champagne while I was there and I'm not one that can handle mixing drinks. I guess you saw that last night."

There was silence for a few seconds as we stared at one another.

"I'm sorry you saw me like that." I told him. "I really didn't want to make a bad impression. You didn't have to take care of me, Mark or Alex would have brought me home but…"

"Yeah, Alex, sure." Paul suddenly spat, looking away from me. I narrowed my eyes at him and smacked him on the arm. I knew it hadn't hurt him but it did get him to look at me.

"Yeah, Alex. You need to get over this. I went out with Alex, it was a long time ago. He's still my friend and you need to accept that."

"Oh please, I saw the way he was looking at you last night." Paul's voice was louder than usual and I shrank back a little. "He'd have taken you home, crawled into bed with you and the two of you would have sex."

"Didn't I explain that I didn't have sex with Alex if I was with someone else? Did you miss that part of the conversation the other day? If you're going to act like this every time I mention his name then there really isn't much point on going on is there? Because he's my friend and he's in my band and he isn't going to be gone from my life anytime soon."

Paul looked stricken suddenly, reaching out blindly to grab my arms.

"No. I'm sorry, okay. I have anger management issues."

I sighed and allowed him to slid me onto his lap, his warm hands toying with the frayed edges of my vest top. I sighed a little as he slid his hands beneath the fabric to stroke the cold skin at the small of my back. His hands were huge. I had noticed it before but actually feeling them on my skin threw that into sharp focus. Both his hands covered almost my entire back, causing my blood to heat up in my veins. I could feel my face flush as he stroked the skin softly twice and I could barely remember what I was talking about. All I could contemplate was that he was very good at using those hands as one strong finger slid slowly down the length of my spine.

"Don't push me away." He whispered against my mouth, moving one of his hands away from my back and placing it along my jaw. He pulled me towards him and I felt my eyes flutter as his lips slanted over mine.

The kiss was soft at first, delicate and hesitant, before he applied more pressure. I felt like I was drowning and I loved every second of it. His lips were soft but commanding and I knew I couldn't pull away even if I tried. I wrapped my arms around his neck and felt him smile against my lips before he pulled me closer.

"Don't push me away, Abby." He murmured as he pulled his lips off mine. I groaned at the lack of contact but he smiled at me and used the hand at my jaw to lift my head back gently before placing his lips exactly on my pulse point. I was sure he could feel it pounding against his tongue as he licked the spot before biting lightly. The pleasure was so intense that I gripped his shoulder in an attempt to stay focused. I wanted him, I decided. I couldn't decide what I wanted on my skin more his lips or his hands and as I contemplated his he pulled back at me, watching my flushed face with darkened eyes.

"I have no intentions of pushing you away." I assured him, wrapping my fingers in his hair and pulling him close again. He smiled at me, opening his mouth and singing softly.

"Baby, baby, baby. Baby, baby, baby. Won't you be my girl?"

I laughed and buried my face in his neck. "How the hell did you remember the song?"

"I downloaded every song that you've sung. If they're important to you, then they're important to me."

I smiled at him, pressing my lips to his again with a laugh.

The song belongs to the Vibrators and the only characters i own are Abby and the band and her parents.


	6. Hold Tight

Sorry for the wait everyone. I actually partially wrote three different versions of this chapter and was trying to decide which one i liked best to finish. Thanks for all the amazing reviews and i'm so glad everyone is enjoyng the story. is is awful of me to say that i'm starting to prefer Abby to Lily? let me know what you think!

Music spilled out of Abby's apartment as I opened the door and looked around. I could hear her singing from the bathroom and I smiled and headed for her kitchen, to help myself to a beer.

It had been just over two months since I met Abby and every time I saw her I fell more and more in love with her. I split my time between La Push and her apartment, staying over once or twice a week, and we had fallen into an easy routine. I went to see her play, every gig without fail, and she would come home with me as soon as she was done singing. We came back here, listened to her massive record/ CD collection and talked well into the night. I knew almost everything there was to know about her and that made me more than happy. I flicked through an old car magazine I had left here a few days ago as I waited on her to get ready. At Sam's insistence I was bringing her down to the reservation to meet the pack. I refused to tell her about the pack just yet but Sam had ordered me to bring her down so that they could at least meet her and make sure she wasn't going to be a threat to us. I had tried to put him off by telling him that Abby was shy and hated meeting new people but Jared had ruined my case when he laughed loudly. Jared was the only member of the pack Abby had really met and spoke to. Sure, I had introduced her to everyone that night in the bar but that had been the last time she had seen them. Jared worked in the bar she had begun frequenting since meeting me and so the three of us sat around the bar and talked while she waited on her cue. So he knew she wasn't a bit shy and that she loved meeting new people and he had told Sam that. Sam had rolled his eyes and told me to pick a date so I chose tonight.

The shower stopped suddenly and the singing became louder. I recognised the old song that she sang and I tapped my feet along as she finished up in the bathroom. I wondered if I should shout out and tell her I was here or if I should just wait until she saw me and had another mini-heart attack as she called it. I loved the shrieking sound she made when I snuck up on her. I loved how she jumped about a foot in the air and how she clutched at the top of her chest, a few inches away from where her actual heart was. I loved everything about her.

There was the shriek…then the jumping in the air and the clutching at the heart… and then came the glare.

"Paul! How many times…"

I cut her off by kissing her. Her hair was dripping wet and I followed on of the water drops with my finger. I followed it down her cheek, across her jaw, down the side of her throat, over her collarbone and down the expanse of skin of her chest until it disappeared under the towel she wore. She pressed closer to me and I groaned, my hands fisted against her hips.

"You're here early." She commented, pulling away from me slowly. I followed her to the bedroom, my heart pounding in my ears and my blood boiling slowly. I lifted a pile of clothes off the wicker seat in the corner and sat down, propping my feet up on the window ledge and watching the rain as Abby moved around, singing and getting ready.

"Hold tight count to three, gotta stay close by me and hold tight, sing and shout, just ride my roundabout and hold tight, shut your eyes girl you suit me for size… forget the other guys, you'll never fall each time you call hold tight, hold tight… hold tight…"

I turned away from the window and watched as she danced, pulling jeans over slim, pale legs. She shook her hips as she pulled the towel away from her upper body. Her bare back was to me and I watched, entranced, as she snapped a blue bra across her back and pulled the straps up her arms. I wanted to kiss every inch of that skin… to count exactly how many flowers floated down from the two swallows across her shoulder blades. As she moved her hands I could see the tail of the koi fish that wrapped around her side.

I was pulled out away from my appraisal when she pulled a light grey shirt over her skin, making me frown.

"Spoil my fun why don't you?" I grumbled. Instead of replying she sent me a small wink and sat on her bed to pull her boots on.

"What time do we have to be at your friends house at?" She asked as she slipped a cardigan over her shirt. I yawned and stretched in the chair before standing.

"Whenever you're ready."

"I'm ready now." She picked up her leather jacket and slid her handbag over her shoulder before heading towards the door, turning lights out and checking windows as she passed.

"So it's just going to be Sam and Emily, right? I mean, you're not going to bombard me with a million people. Right?"

I smiled at her uneasily and shook my head. "Nowhere near a million."

She narrowed her eyes at my evasion and sighed. "How many?"

"Around fifteen or so. Probably not even." I told her with a grin. She groaned loudly.

"You know I'm not good in a crowd." She warned me. "I may say something stupid and completely embarrass you in front of your friends."

"I wouldn't worry too much. They pretty much know every embarrassing secret I have."

"Really? How is that?"

"I'll tell you some day." I grinned at her, trying to back track. I hadn't meant to say so much so soon.

"Why not tell me now?"

"Because… if I told you, I'd have to kill you."

"Liar. You could never hurt anyone. You're all bark and no bite." She was giggling softly and I smiled at the sound.

"Woof woof."

She laughed fully, leaning her head back against the seat and closing her eyes. I kept one hand on the wheel of the car and slid my other hand over to her leg. Her smile widened slightly but she kept her eyes closed and I turned back to the road. After a few seconds of silence she sat up and turned to look at me.

"What happened the girl you were with the night you met me?"

I turned in surprise, thinking back to that night. I couldn't remember anyone or anything about that night except for Abby.

"What girl?"

"I just remembered. I was in the toilets, getting changed, and these two girls came in and they were talking about a Sam, an Emily, a Jared and a Paul. I'm guessing one of them is Jared's girl but what about the other one? She seemed pretty keen on you."

I vaguely remembered that I had been on a sort of casual date that night and I shrugged.

"You mean Alex? Nah, it was nothing serious. She's a friend of Kim's that has a crush on me."

"So you hit on me when you were out with someone else? You dog." She sounded serious and for a few seconds I wondered if I had actually offended her but one glanced at her smirk and suppressed giggles and I knew that I hadn't.

"What is with you? Why do you keep referring to me as a dog?" I asked with a chuckled. It was something I was sensitive to, something the leeches often threw at us, but I couldn't find it in me to take offence at what Abby had said to me.

"Because all men are dogs honey."

I chuckled as I drove across the boarder of La Push, the invisible line that separates our territory from theirs.

"Hey, when we get there, don't stare at Emily too much okay?"

Abby raised an eyebrow as she turned to look at me and I quickly continued.

"A few years ago she was in the woods with Sam and she got mauled by a bear. She has a few scars across her face and Sam really hates it when people stare at her so just… just don't, okay." The last thing I needed was for Abby to stare too long at Emily's face and piss off Sam. Being on the wrong side of the Alpha was never fun, especially when he could order me to do anything he wanted and I had to obey.

"Wow. Okay, I won't stare." She promised just as we pulled into the space beside Sam and Emily's house.

The house was brightly lit in the dark night and I saw Abby taking a deep, steadying breath as she made her way towards the door. I took her small hand in mine and kissed the back of it softly before we walked inside. The noise bombarded us instantly and I saw Abby wince slightly as Claire let out a full fledged shriek and threw herself at me. For reasons unknown to everyone, Claire had taken a liking to me the first time we met and I was her third favourite werewolf, after Quil and her uncle Sam of course; since then she had delighted in deafening me every chance she got.

"Hey Claire bear." I greeted her, swinging her up into my arms.

"Who's that?"

"This is Abby."

"Hey there sweetie." Abby greeted Claire with a smile. Claire stared, completely entranced, at Abby's colourful beaded necklace.

"My name's Claire."

"That's a pretty name. For a pretty girl." Abby replied.

"You're necklace is pretty." Claire told Abby seriously. "It's so colourful. Quil said he's going to make me a necklace that colourful one day."

Abby chuckled and leaned over so that she and Claire were face to face, before slipping the necklace over her head.

"Well, why don't you wear this one until he makes you it."

Claire accepted the necklace gleefully, pulling it over her neck and admiring it. She struggled in my arms and I sat her down, watching as she speedily dodged the legs of everyone else in the room, heading for Quil.

"That was nice of you." Emily's soft voice spoke from before us and I watched, casually leaning against the counter, as Abby turned to face her.

"I have a few of them at home," Abby told her. I watched her eyes flicker to the scars once, then again, before focusing fully on Emily's eyes. "A friend brought me them back from Mardi Gras a few years ago. You must be Emily. I'm Abby."

I watched as Emily smiled at Abby and shook her hand, feeling the tension drain out of my body. If Emily accepted Abby then everyone else would follow. For some reason Emily's opinion was trusted over everyone else's. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that she never judged anyone. Emily saw the best and worst in people and if she accepted someone, then they were worth accepting.

"So, Paul tells me you sing." Emily spoke softly and Abby chuckled.

"Oh, so he talks about me, huh?"

"All the time." Emily winked. "We can barely get him to shut up."

"Funny, I have the same problem. I've found that gagging is the answer."

"Ooh, kinky."

I turned to glare at Embry as he stepped into the room, following by Sam and Jared.

"So gagging, what else do you two get up to when you're in that apartment all by yourselves."

"I'm pretty sure you're too innocent to hear about it." Abby retorted. Despite the fact that Embry was so much taller than Abby, she still managed to look down her nose at him and I couldn't help but chuckle.

"It helps if you ignore him." Jared told Abby. "Then he goes away to bother someone else."

"Hey." Embry protested.

"Hey, Jared." Abby greeted Jared with a hug and I felt the jealousy well up. I glared at him as he pulled away and he rolled his eyes in exasperation. I knew I was being overly paranoid and obnoxious but see anyone but me touching Abby made the animal part of me want to snap my teeth at them and declare her as mine. For some reason when Jared touched her, I felt even worse.

"You need any help with dinner?" I heard Abby talking to Emily again and when I looked up the room had cleared, leaving just me, Abby, Emily and Sam. Sam leaned against the counter top opposite me, his gaze on the two girls in the middle of the room. He caught my eye and flashed a small smile, showing me that he approved of her. I felt the last of the tension drain out of my body and relaxed, listening to Abby's random conversation with Emily.

"Have you ever been to Mexico?" Emily was asking.

"Once, when I was about fourteen. My dad took me down for Dia De Los Muertos."

"What's that?" She glanced away from Emily to smile at my question before turning back.

"It's Day of the Dead. Anyway, me and my dad went down there and had the best time. It was a little sad but it was so much fun." She was saying. "You should totally go there for your honeymoon. We stayed in this little boutique hotel in Mexico City and the whole place was beautiful. Like, astoundingly beautiful."

As I watched her talking about her trip with her father I couldn't imagine her disliking him as much as she had said she had a few weeks ago.

"Sam, can you tell the boys to start washing up, diner's almost ready." Emily smiled at Sam and, obedient as always, he headed for the next room. I watched as Emily quickly doled out four plates and set them to the side on the counter beside her. I watched Abby's face pale as she heard the loud, heavy footprints and I pulled her out of the way quickly as the stampede of hungry werewolves piled inside the small kitchen. Emily pulled Abby to the counter beside her and once I was sure she was okay I headed for the table, not wanting to miss out on the food. I was starving. Abby stood next to Emily and Kim, eating from one of the plates that Emily had saved. Claire sat at their feet, eating happily as she sang along to herself.

Dinner was, as always, a noisy affair. The entire pack had learned long ago that if you wanted to be heard over diner, you shouted. I glanced over at Abby a few times to make sure she wasn't overwhelmed and was surprised, but happy, to see her keeping up a conversation with Emily and Kim. It looked like she had been here the entire time, as if she had always belonged. I can't even describe how happy I was watching her laughing at something Kim said to her and I can't describe the rush of affection I got for her as I watched her smiled warmly at Emily before complimenting her on her hair. Emily beams at her, not used to strangers complimenting anything about her, and I know suddenly that my life is complete.

After diner I led her to the living room by the hand, pulling her past people so that we could get seats before they were all claimed. She giggled as I pulled her onto my lap and I couldn't help but reach down to kiss her.

"Eww, Uncle Paul's kissing Abby!" Claire squealed in disgust, burying her dark head in Quil's neck. Abby blushed as the rest of the group chuckled and I raised an eyebrow at her. She didn't normally blush.

"So, Abby, what is it you do?"

I saw Abby inwardly groan at Sam's question and wanted to reassure her that no one in the room would judge her. As it was, the only members of the pack that had a full time job were Jacob and Embry who were both working at some garage just outside of Port Angeles and Jared who worked in the bar. I could occasionally get jobs but my 'attitude problem' and my 'anger management issues' meant that they never last more than a few weeks, a month tops.

"I'm a waitress in a café." Abby finally answered. She was defiant as she looked Sam straight in the eye, as if daring him to look down at her and I could actually feel her relaxing against me as he just smiled and nodded.

"Do you like it?" Kim asked. Kim had gotten a scholarship to Brown but had turned it down because she didn't want to leave Jared. Her parents had been so annoyed that they told her she could start living with Jared so she moved in with the two of us and worked in a café in Forks to help pay the rent. I was still living off the money my grandparents had left me when they died but it was slowly but surely disappearing and I knew I would have to get a job and stick to it soon. I was so lost in my thoughts that I completely missed Abby's answer to Kim. Not that I needed to hear it, I already knew how much Abby loved working in the small, 50s style diner in Port Angeles.

The conversation flowed around us and I felt Abby settled back against me, resting her head against my chest as she listened to Embry and Jacob arguing over something stupid. I tightened my grip around her, settling my hand on the warm skin of her stomach and smiled at her, completely content.


	7. Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow

I'm not sure why i'm posting this now since i'm sure all you lucky people are reading Breaking Dawn right about now but since it's not coming out over here until Monday, i figured i'd update to pass the time. Hope you all enjoy!

From my spot on Paul's lap I watched the people in the room talking and laughing, their voices getting gradually louder and louder. Paul was shouting over my head to Sam and Sam was shouting over Emily's head in reply. I caught Emily's serene gaze and realised that this was nothing new or surprising. This was simply how they were and I could easily accept that. There was something comfortable about sitting here, surrounded by so much heat and noise. It was like being a part of a very big, very loud family. It was something I had never experienced before and I was shocked to find myself liking it.

"So, Abby, what time of songs do you sing?" Kim asked from her spot beside me. I was curled up on Paul's lap, leaning back against his chest and she was in a similar position on Jared's. She was so pretty. All three of the girls here were so pretty, even Emily with her horrific scars was still beautiful. Maybe it was something in the water. All the girls were gorgeous and all the guys looked like body builders. I coughed slightly when I realised she was still waiting on me answering her question.

"Everything really. It's mainly covers but occasionally our guitarist and drummer will get together and write a song." I finally replied with a smile. Kim nodded and smiled in return.

"I've always wanted to sing in front of people like that but I don't have the balls to do it." She admitted in a soft voice. "I saw you the night you played with Paul and you were awesome. You just stood there, so calm, and sang. I could never do that."

I had never really gotten praise for my singing before and I stared at Kim in shock. Sure, people told me I had a great voice but did anyone applaud me for getting on stage and risking completely mortification by singing in front of a bunch of drunken hecklers? No. I beamed at Kim and she smiled back.

"You get used to it and learn to ignore it. If there's any really loud drunks that yell at you, you just yell back louder. But usually it's fine. We don't play too late so the people there aren't always as drunk and obnoxious as they could be."

Kim shrugged and smiled. "Still I admire you."

"Thanks." I smiled at her. Our quiet conversation had gone unnoticed by the shouting boys that surrounded us and when I pulled myself away from Kim I found that Paul was smiling at me softly. He winked at me before tightening his grip and going back to his conversation.

"So, Abby, do you have any shows coming up?" Emily asked me sweetly as she pulled Claire off the floor and on to her lap. The little girl beamed up at Emily happily and I smiled at the sight. Suddenly the attention of the group was on me and my face flushed slightly with the knowledge. Paul's breath was warm against my neck and I struggled to reply for a few seconds.

"Uh, yeah. I'm singing in a bar in Seattle on Saturday night." I finally responded.

"Oh, maybe me and Sam will come with Paul to watch." Emily smiled. "Paul has been raving about your singing for weeks now and I feel like I'm missing something, since me and Sam are the only ones who haven't seen you."

I smiled at her, at ease once more. There was something comforting about being in this room, surrounded by Paul's friends. It was like I belonged here. No one was judging me or telling me I could be better. It was as if I belonged here.

"Yeah, if you two come along then I don't have to listen to Jacob whining." Paul smiled.

"Hey." Jacob argued. Before I knew what was happening, something was sailing through the air towards us and I shrieked and covered my face with my hands as the ashtray approached.

"Jacob!" Emily scolded. I peeked through my fingers to see Paul's hand had caught the ashtray easily. I glanced back at him to see his eyes narrowed in Jacob's direction and I realised that he was shaking slightly. Now that there were no missiles heading for me I relaxed again and watched as Paul drew his hand back and aimed the ashtray at Jacob.

"Paul!" Emily complained again. "Honestly, it's like living with a pack of children."

Jacob caught the ashtray easily and sat it in it's original spot next to him with a chuckle. Paul's shaking had disappeared and his grip around me had tightened protectively.

I had always thought of myself as being independent. I had never really needed anyone to take care of me, especially not boyfriends. If I got into trouble, I got myself out of it. Sure, Alex defended me a few times in bars but usually he was too drunk to even realise what was happening, let alone do anything about it. And the guys I had spent my time with after Alex certainly weren't the type to fight my fights for me. If a guy in a bar felt me up, I dealt with it myself and I had gotten used to that.

Paul, on the other hand, was the type of guy that never left his girlfriend unprotected. He was always hovering nearby to make sure I was okay; that I was safe. It was something I had never needed before but I don't think I could go without it now. There was a real comfort in knowing that someone was on your side, ready to fight for you.

"Hey, you want to head home?" Paul asked softly in my ear. I shivered against him at the sensation of the hot breath on the shell of my ear and he chuckled huskily. I closed my eyes for a second and when I opened them I locked gazes with Emily. She smirked at me knowingly, raising an eyebrow in Paul's direction as we stood up.

"You guys heading out?" Sam asked.

"Yeah. Abby needs an early night. She's exhausted." Paul answered for me. Normally a guy answering for me would bother me but it was so natural for Paul to be doing it that I just smiled in agreement. Emily and Sam walked us out to the car and we stood for a few minutes, chatting idly about the weather.

"Abby, we'll definitely be up on Saturday to watch you play." Emily told me. I smiled at her and reached out for a hug. I had a feeling that if Paul and I lasted for a while, Emily and I would be good friends. There was just something so likeable about her calm, happy demeanour.

"You should. And get Paul to give you my number, we should hang out sometime."

"I'd like that." She smiled. We said a final goodbye and climbed into the car. I immediately switched the radio on, smiling as the music spilled through the air. I watched Paul as he climbed in, a small smile on his face. I continued to watch him as he drove. I watched how he concentrated on the road, a small frown on his face, and how he glanced over his shoulder before swinging the car into another lane. The song on the radio changed and I leant back and sighed, singing along. Paul had told me a week after meeting me that he loved listening to me singing. It was something I relished in. Alex had hated me singing when I wasn't on stage. He had told me to save my voice for people who cared. I was still singing when we pulled onto the road that led to my apartment. The song had changed to a an old, sultry ballad that made me smile.

_Tonight you're mine, completely_

_You give you're love so sweetly_

_Tonight the light of love is in your eyes_

_Will you still love me tomorrow?_

I could feel Paul's gaze on my face for a few seconds as I sang. I opened my eyes to see him reaching for the volume button. At my raised eyebrow he grinned.

"I'd rather hear you than them."

_Is this a lasting treasure?_

_Or just a moment's pleasure?_

_Can I believe the magic in your sighs?_

_Will you still love me tomorrow?_

_Tonight with words unspoken,_

_You said that I'm the only one_

_But will my heart be broken?_

_When the night meets the morning sun?_

His gaze on my face was heated as he pulled into the parking lot. We sat there as the song continued, me singing and him watching. I opened my eyes and sang to him, watching the light in his eyes shift. His eyes were always so expressive. They were dark pools of endless emotions and I knew for a fact that I could easily drown in them if I let myself. I could see the fear that was there, swirling together with the heat and the love. It still scared me slightly that he loved me but I knew without a doubt that he did. But I also knew he was hiding something from me. Until he had announced we were going to meet his friends, who he had referred to as his family, I had been sure he was secretly married with three kids.

_I'd like to know that your love_

_Is love I can be sure of_

_So tell me now and I won't ask again_

_Will you still love me tomorrow?_

Paul gaze was on my lips as I finished singing and the heat was so intense I could almost feel it from where I was sitting. If there was one way to describe Paul it was fiery. Everything about him was like fire. His eyes, his skin, his touch. Even his attitude. Before I could continue my thoughts his lips were on mine, soft and insistent. I sighed and leant towards him, smiling as his hands lifted me across the car and onto his lap.

I could feel the muscles of his chest and stomach against my own as I leant against him. He pushed my cardigan off my shoulders and threw it into the back seat without breaking contact with me. When Paul kissed me it was as if he took completely control of me. It wasn't something I was used to but it was something I liked. Especially when he bit down on my bottom lip, sucking it into his mouth slightly just like… that. I groaned and rested my forehead against his as he pulled away, his eyes smouldering.

"Want to go inside?"

"No, I want to stay out here and let me neighbours watch me making out with the hot Native guy that's always hanging around these days."

"Oh, well in that case."

He dropped his lips onto my collarbone and I moaned loud enough that I should have been embarrassed but I couldn't bring myself to be. His breath was hot against the skin and his teeth were nipping slightly. My skin was beginning to burn and suddenly my clothes were too tight; too restrictive. I couldn't touch enough of his skin; running my hands up and down his huge arms wasn't enough. I needed to touch more.

I pulled myself back with a gasp, looking down into those bottomless pools. I felt like I was drowning in them, in the swirl of emotions. Love and lust were the clearest and I opened the door of the car, letting the icy wind blast against the bare skin of my arms. I shivered and he wrapped an arm around me from behind, one of his large hands resting against my stomach underneath the fabric of my shirt. He led me towards the apartment, never more than a foot behind me. I unlocked the door with shaking hands, suddenly nervous.

He pressed me against the wall as soon as we were inside, his large body covering mine easily as he picked me up, wrapping my legs around his waist. With one hand on the small of my back and the other holding my head to his, Paul walked us backwards, towards the bedroom. His kisses were getting more and more urgent and when he finally lay me on the bed I gasped for air. He leant over me, holding the majority of his weight on his arms, and just stared. His eyes drank in my face before moving further down and I could feel my skin flush pink.

Before I realised what he was doing, he had slipped my shirt over my head and his hands were currently unbuttoning my jeans. I arched my hips against his hot hand as it rested against my stomach and he chuckled.

I narrowed my eyes at him and, deciding that he was wearing far too much clothing to be fair, pulled his white undershirt over his head. Once again I was taken back by the sight of so much perfect copper coloured skin covering the perfectly defined muscles. I scraped my nails across his stomach and he hissed, his eyes closing briefly. When he opened them again I was taken back by how dark they were now. They were practically black as he lifted me up to unhook my bra and I sighed as his hands rested against my back. He rolled us over so that I was on top of him and I ran one nail down the centre of his chest and stomach, enjoying the way his eyes closed and his mouth dropped open. I ran the nail along the edge of his cut off jeans and bit my lip to avoid crying out when his hips shot up against mine.

He switched us again so that I was lying on the bed and he was resting between my raised knees. He sat up and shrugged off the cut offs. He didn't wear any sort of boxers and I felt my mouth water at the sight of so much uninterrupted flesh.

"Are you sure?" His mouth was right next to my ear, his voice a low growl that was more animalistic than human and I could only lift my hips as an answer. If I had opened my mouth the only thing that would have come out would have been a loud moan.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

It was hours later when I woke. Paul had pulled the blankets up over us and I was just warm enough to be comfortable. I could hear the rain lashing against the windows and smiled, closing my eyes and shifting so that my back was right against Paul's body. His arm automatically curled around me, his hand flat on my stomach. He kissed my shoulder sleepily and muttered something against my skin.

"Huh?"

"Said you smell so good." He repeated, his sleepy voice making me shiver against him. His grip on me tightened and I smiled. "Go back to sleep, baby."

His breath was even and deep against my skin and as I lay there, cradled in his arms, I knew somehow that Paul was something special. Something I should hold on to. With that thought came the realisation that i didn't mind if he looked at me with all that love in his eyes. He made me feel safe; he comforted me in a way no one else could and he made me feel things i had never felt before. I turned in his arms and looked up at his face. He looked so peaceful in his sleep that i couldn't help but trace a finger over his features. He groaned and placed his hand on the small of my back, pulling me against him. We fit perfectly, one of his long legs over my hips and his arms tightly around me and i smiled. I had been nervous that sleeping with him would make a huge difference in our relationship but suddenly i realised that was a silly thought. Paul hadn't wanted me for sex, he wanted me for me.

I closed me eyes and sighed, smiling as his grip tightened.


	8. What A Wonderful World

_I see trees of green, red roses too_

_I see them bloom, for me and you_

_And I say to myself what a wonderful world_

_I see skies of blue and clouds of white_

_Bright, sunny days; dark, sacred nights_

_And I think to myself, what a wonderful world_

I groaned as the loud music suddenly filled the room. Abby barely stirred beside me; she simply moved an arm from under the blankets and turned the volume down a little before turning around so that she was facing me.

"Isn't this song supposed to be… quieter than this?" I asked. She chuckled and her breath fanned across my bare shoulder, making me shiver and tighten my grip. One of her long, smooth legs shifted between mine and I chuckled, thinking back to last night. I half wished that I didn't heal so quickly; I knew she had left marks on me and I wanted to see them. I wanted to see where she had marked me as hers because from where I lay I could clearly see where I had marked her as mine.

"It's the Ramones cover of it." She muttered eventually. She pushed her hair out of her face and smirked up at me. "And what a wonderful world it is this morning."

I laughed at her cheesy smile and she chuckled, turning around so that her back was pressed against my front. I wrapped my arm around her and slid on of my legs across her body protectively.

"Hey, about last night…" She started. I hushed her, dipping my head to her neck. The skin there was soft and tasted slightly salty. I ran my tongue across the discoloured spot I had put there and smiled in satisfaction when she pressed back against me with a moan.

"I have to go to work." She reminded me. I growled and nipped at the skin of her shoulder and she giggled. "Stop it. It's going to be hard enough getting out of bed without you teasing me like that."

"Baby, it's already hard enough." I growled in her ear, pulling her hips back against mine. She broke into peals of laughter and I couldn't help but chuckle.

"Paul that was so cheesy it's not even funny."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I dropped Abby off at the diner with a kiss and a promise that I would call by later that day, and drove slowly back to La Push. Last night had been amazing and I knew it wasn't just the sex, which had been awesome on its own. Abby had finally let down some of her barriers last night. I could tell by the way she was looking at me in the car that she was finally starting to accept how strong the feelings I had for her were. And if I had read the signs right last night, she was starting to accept that her own feelings for me were pretty strong too. I smiled at the thought as I drove down the wet path that led to Sam and Emily's. I could easily pick out the voices of the other pack members inside and I smiled. It was a full house today.

"Hey Paul." Emily smiled at me as she bustled around the kitchen. Something smelled delicious and I took a deep breath, breathing in the scent of Emily's freshly made muffins.

"Morning, Em." I yawned and headed past her, towards the living room. Sam, Jacob and Jared all sat around, watching the replay of last night's game on the small television.

"Hey, Paul." Sam greeted me without taking his eyes from the screen.

Sam had really relaxed since the bloodsuckers had taken Bella and made a run for it a few years back. Before that we had all been tense and over worked but Sam had been the worst. He hated to be caught off guard and had spent the majority of those few years making us run patrols with each other a few times a night. Sleep was scarce back then, especially when Jacob had demanded we include Forks in our patrol as well, to keep an eye on the leech lover.

I scowled at the memory and threw myself onto the couch beside Jared. Yeah, Sam was much more relaxed now and the pack was much happier because of it. It was nice to hang out as a pack under normal circumstances. There was nothing like running in wolf form, racing the others and playing around.

"So." Sam turned the volume down as the game wrapped up, a frown on his face since his team had lost. "When are you planning on telling Abby about the pack?"

I groaned and leaned my head back against the sofa, closing my eyes. I didn't exactly have a time line for this. I wanted to do it right; I didn't want to rush it and make her run. I wanted her to know that she was in love with me before I told her that I was a mythical monster. I wanted her to know that I was in love with her before I told her that some sort of mythical bond held me to her. Most of all, I didn't want her to run from me.

"I don't know." I finally answered Sam. "Soon, I guess."

"You can't spend too much time thinking about what will happen." Jared assured me, clapping a hand against my shoulder. I nodded at him but I knew I was still frowning.

"You won't know until you try." Jacob mocked me with a grin and I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Shut up, Jacob." Sam ordered. He was still watching me with curious eyes. "What exactly are you afraid of, Paul?"

I snorted and glared at him. Was he serious?

"Are you serious? I'm afraid of telling her that I'm a werewolf. That not only do I sprout fur when I get angry but there's also this invisible bind holding me to her that can't really be explained. I mean, why the hell would she find that weird? Why the hell would she run away from the mythical monster." I growled and Sam rolled his eyes.

"You're thinking too much about it." He told me as Emily stepped inside, a huge tray of food in her hands. I watched Sam standing and making his way towards her, taking the tray off her gently as if it were too heavy for her and I realised suddenly that I wanted that. I wanted Abby to know that I was her, for lack of a better term, soul mate. That we were bonded in a way that would never be broken. I wanted to tell her that she would never have to doubt anything again. I would always be there to protect her and take care of her. Maybe I should ask her to marry me first? If she saw how serious I was about her she would be able to take the wolf thing easier, right?

"Paul, you look like you're going to be sick, are you okay?"

I felt Emily's cold hand on my forehead and snapped out of my daze.

"I'm fine, Em. Thanks." I shot her a smile and she nodded, still looking at me suspiciously.

"You're worrying too much. Kim dug the whole werewolf thing when I told her." Jared bragged through a mouthful of muffin.

"Kim's lived on the rez her entire life, she knew the stories." Sam reminded him. "It wasn't as big a shock to her as it could be to Abby."

"True. But Bella never lived on the rez and she took…"

"Bella's a monster magnet." I cut in spitefully. I could feel Sam and Jared's irritation and Emily's sudden weariness as Jacob growled at me. "Abby wouldn't react anything like that."

"No, she'll probably run away screaming from the big bad wolf." Jacob taunted. "Then what'll you do?"

"Ripping your throat out sounds pretty good for now." I snarled. Jacob smirked and made a move to stand before Sam quietly ordered us both to shut up.

"Look, Paul. You need to tell her. You can't keep a secret this big from her for too long or she'll end up being pissed that you didn't tell her sooner." Jared told me. I rolled my eyes, knowing he was right. I had to tell her but how? It wasn't something I could just drop into the conversation.

"Leave him alone." Emily told them. "He'll get round to it in his own time." She smiled at me and I found myself returning the gesture. Emily was the only one who didn't treat me as if I was about to lose my head and start wrecking things without a warning. She treated me like she treated everyone else and for that reason she was one of the best people I knew.

"I liked Abby." Emily was still talking. "So did Kim and Claire wouldn't let us take that necklace off her last night. She'll fit right in here." She was trying to be comforting and I nodded at her in thanks, wishing that I hadn't even bothered showing up today. I could have hung out in Abby's, she had said before that she didn't mind if I was there while she was in work. Maybe I would go back, I mused. I knew where her spare key was. I could go back and climb into bed and wait for her to get out of work.

Smiling at the idea, I said goodbye to everyone and started back towards Port Angeles. The drive was quick since the roads were pretty empty at this time of the day. I turned the radio on and grinned at the sound of the original version of the song that had woken me up this morning. I whistled as I drove, glad to be away from La Push and the pressure. I understood why everyone wanted me to tell her about the pack, I really did. They wanted to be able to fully accept her as one of us. They wanted to be able to talk and act freely around her. I respected that. But I was terrified of her rejecting me. Abby was the most important thing in my world right now. Actually, that wasn't right. Abby was my world right now and having her turn away from me in fear or disgust would be the end of me. I knew I couldn't handle that. I couldn't handle her hating me. I pulled into the small parking lot beside her building and locked the car up before heading inside. There was music coming from her apartment as I approached and I frowned. I had dropped her off at work and she was due to be there for the next three hours. I slipped my fingers across the ledge above the door and found the dusty spare key.

"What the hell?"

Alex shouted loudly as he pulled away from the blonde whose mouth was currently moving down his stomach. He glared at me through narrow eyes as he yanked the girl to her feet. She turned to look at me and flushed in embarrassment, pulling her dress back up over her chest and scurrying towards the kitchen.

"Breaking and entering are we?" Alex hissed at me. I growled at him and took a step forward. He back up slightly but continued to glare.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I asked angrily. "Does Abby know you're using her apartment as a whore house?"

"Me? What the hell are you doing here?" He retorted. "Does Abby realised you're stalking her?"

I growled again, prowling towards him. The wolf side of my personality was taking over my common sense and all I could think about was the fact that he was in my girlfriend's apartment, acting as if he owned the place. I felt a distinct urge to mark my territory.

"Evie, get dressed." He called over his shoulder. "We're leaving."

I watched him pull his shirt back over his chest and stride towards the door. He barely waited on the blonde to follow before he cast me a hate filled look and stormed outside, slamming the door behind him.

The room no longer smelled of Abby. It smelt like some expensive perfume and I wrinkled my nose at it before heading towards the bedroom. I unlaced my Converse and threw them into the corner before climbing into Abby's bed with a yawn. I would wait for her here and talk to her about getting the locks on her door changed. I really did not want Alex being able to get in her whenever he wanted.

I breathed in the lingering scent of Abby from her pillow, sighing happily as I smelt how well it mingled with my own scent. We were perfect for each other, I knew that. She might react badly to the news that I was a werewolf but eventually she would see past that to how good we were together. She had to.

It wasn't until I woke later that I realised I had fallen asleep. It was dark outside as I yawned and stretched. As soon as I woke fully I realised I could hear breathing beside me. I turned my head and smiled at Abby.

She lay curled up on top of the covers, in a pair of leopard print underwear and a black vest top that made my mouth dry suddenly. Her eyes were closed and her breathing was deep and even, her mouth opened slightly. I smiled and slid out of the bed slowly, not wanting to waken her. The clock by her side of the bed read 10.15PM and I groaned. I had been asleep for almost six hours. I moved my neck from side to side as I headed for the kitchen. I was starving.

I rummaged around in Abby's cupboards, groaning when I came up empty handed. I heard Abby shifting in the other room as I checked the fridge and freezer and I had just closed the last cupboard as she came shuffling into the room.

"You want a pizza?" She asked through a yawn. I moved my gaze up and down her pale body. She hadn't bothered getting dressed and seeing her before me in so few clothes made my heart beat even faster.

"What I want…"

"Don't finish that sentence if you want fed at all tonight." She warned me with a chuckle. I watched as she turned to the phone and ordered a large, meat filled pizza. I walked up behind her and kissed her shoulder softly as she hung up the phone. She turned in my arms and I lifted her up, backing her against the wall and l tugged at her legs until they were wrapped around my legs.

Her skin was as soft as satin beneath my palms as I ran them up and down her legs and her neck tasted like the body lotion I had seen her use before. There was so little separating us that I almost forgot about the rumbling in my stomach. Her head fell back against the wall and I latched my teeth onto the tender skin of her throat. She moaned quietly, a breathy little sound that made me harder than I thought possible. I couldn't believe she had this effect on me.

I had been with quite a few chicks in the past few years. Kim had explained to us that the chicks in school were in awe of our bodies and the way we acted as if we could do anything we wanted. But none of those girls made me feel anything like I was feeling right now. I couldn't get enough of Abby. I wanted her more than I wanted to breath. I wanted nothing more than to have her beneath me, sighing my name the way she had last night. Actually, I didn't want her. I needed her. It was a deep rooted need that refused to go away.

"Damn." She groaned as I pulled away slowly. Her eyes were hooded as she looked down on me and her lips were swollen from kissing me. She was stunning.

"I like these." I told her, slipping my fingers inside her underwear. She gasped and arched her hips against me, her eyes fluttering closed as I stroked her slowly. She groaned my name into my ear softly and I closed my eyes to listen to it, keeping my fingers steady as she moved against my hand.

It was the doorbell ringing that pulled us out of our trance and Abby groaned into my neck as my fingers stilled.

"Paul, if you leave me like this I will never have sex with you again."

I whimpered at the threat, looking towards the door.

"We can't just leave him out there." I protested. She opened her eyes and I was struck by how dark they were. She slid down the wall suddenly until my groin was nestled against her intimately. I groaned at the heat, pushing my hips against hers.

"I don't want pizza." She whispered in my ear, licking the shell of it and making me whimper again. Her tongue was so warm and soft on my skin. "I want you. I want to taste you."

Oh fuck.

The song belongs to Louis Armstrong and the characters you recognise from Twilight belong to S. Meyer. The song from the last chapter belongs to the Shirelles

A/N. Okay so i've read Breaking Dawn but i'm going to continue with the story. So enjoy and let me know what you think!


	9. Secret Part One

_Got a secret, can you keep it?_

_Swear this one you'll save_

_Better lock it in your pocket_

_Taking this one to the grave_

I yawned and looked around the empty café in sorrow. The rain was lashing against the windows outside, angry lightening splitting the dark sky open and thunder booming loud enough to make me jump. I had been doodling on a napkin for the past forty five minutes because no one was venturing outside of their homes on a day like this. There were four of us working, all sitting around the empty café, listening to old Elvis songs on the jukebox and trying to relieve the boredom some how. So far I had doodled three sets of eyes, four cherries, an anchor and a few little matchstick men.

I balled the napkin up in my hand and threw it into the bin behind the counter with a sigh.

"Hey, Abby, there's a phone call for you in the kitchen." Lisa the cook called out to me. I brushed down my uniform and headed for the swinging door, wondering who on earth was calling me in work. Usually only Mark called here and that was only in emergencies. I couldn't understand what he was calling about now for.

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's me." Paul's voice was husky and I felt my eyes slid closed for a brief second. Paul had the type of voice that was beyond perfect for phone sex. I had to keep that in mind, I mused. I could feel Lisa's eyes on me and I knew she was wondering who I was talking to.

"Hey, what's up?" I finally responded, turning my back to Lisa and Amber, a waitress I didn't get along with.

"I have to cancel our plans for tonight." He told me, his voice sorrowful. I bit back my disappointment and tried to sound cheerful when I replied.

"It's fine. I'll call Mark and get him to take me to a movie or something."

"No!" His voice was suddenly sharp and I winced slightly. Paul had never used that tone with me before; a mixture of exasperation, anger and worry. "You have to come down to La Push. I'll come and pick you up like we talked about and drop you at Emily's. I'll only be a few hours and then I'll collect you and we can stay at my place tonight."

"Paul, it's fine. You don't have to arrange something for me to do." I chuckled. "I'll get Mark to…"

"Abby, please just come down to La Push. Please." He was pleading now and I bit my lip. What the hell was going on?

"Why don't you come and pick me up now?" I replied. "We're dead so I'll get Wendy to let me go early."

"Okay. Okay, that's good. I'm on my way." He was relieved as he hung up and I stared at the phone for a few seconds, wondering what the hell was going on. He had been acting funny for the past week and a half and I had been worried. Mark had joked that he was secretly harbouring a drug problem that he hadn't wanted me to know about and I had laughed and defended him but I had been thinking about it since then. Paul had the type of body that took years of body building to achieve but in the few months I had known him I hadn't seen him pick up so much as a weight or talk about working out at all. It had made me suspicious when I sat down and thought about it.

I shook the thought out of my head and placed the phone back on the cradle, heading for the small office at the back of the kitchen. Wendy, my boss, was only thirty and absolutely insane for anything kitsch and retro. The café had a fifties theme, with a jukebox in the corner and booths with cherry red seats. We sold malts and milkshakes and 'real food' as Wendy put it. Wendy herself never appeared without a full face of make up on and she was always dressed in a poodle skirt and a shirt tied at the waist or a full skirted dress and heels. Her husband, Johnny, was what she called a rockabilly. His hair was always slicked up in a quaff and he wore his jeans turned up over creepers and old bowling shirts. I found both of them adorably strange and I loved spending time in their fifties-centric house.

"Hey Abby, what's up?" Wendy asked when I poked my head around the door. She held the phone in her hand, the receiver pressed against her shoulder as she looked at me expectantly.

"I was wondering if I could take off?" I asked. "Café's dead and the other girls are here and I had a late night last night…"

"Say no more." Wendy waved me off. "I'll see you on Saturday for poker?"

"Wouldn't miss it. Thanks Wendy."

I pulled my coat over my uniform and stood at the door, waiting on the sigh of Paul's familiar car. He drove horrifically fast and it never took him long to get from La Push to Port Angeles. I wasn't disappointed when he pulled up next to the café ten minutes later and honked the horn.

"Hey, Abby before you go." Kelly, one of the part time waitresses, grabbed my arm and pulled me back slightly. She looked around seriously before turning her gaze on me. "You know that guy I had a date with last night?" I nodded and she took a deep breath. "Well he went to high school with this girl, right? And she got involved with one of the guys from La Push, Jacob something. It didn't end well but Mike went to the movies with them one night and he said that Jacob was this tall, skinny bean pole. A few weeks later he showed up at their high school to confront this girl about the guy she's going out with and he's like a body builder, Mike said. I mentioned that you were going out with a guy called Paul from the reservation and he told me to tell you to be careful. Everyone in Forks knows that the guys from the res are in a gang and that they're mixed up with serous drugs. Like steroids."

I stared at her until Paul honked his horn again and tore me out of my thoughts. I shook my head with a chuckled and patted Kelly on the arm.

"Thanks for the concern, Kelly, but you're friend has it wrong. I've met the guys from La Push that Paul hangs out with and they're all sweetie pies."

She nodded, not convinced, and smiled at me. "Just be careful, yeah?"

I nodded and pulled open the door, taking a deep breath before running for Paul's car. He had the door open for me by the time I got there and I slid in thankfully. The rain pounded into the pavement around us as we drove.

"Can I stop by the apartment to get a change of clothes?" I asked softly. He sighed but nodded and I thought about what Kelly had said. That was two people in the space of two weeks to mention drugs to me in the same sentence as Paul. Was there something there that I didn't see? Was I so caught up in the fact that I loved Paul that I didn't notice his bad traits? I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye; his arms were bare and his legs were only half covered with the cut off jeans he wore. I could feel the heat radiating off him but I still shivered. Was there something he wasn't telling me? Some big secret about himself that he was trying to hide?

"Hey, baby, are you okay?" He asked me softly suddenly. I started and nodded, a tense smile on my face. He didn't look convinced but he turned back to the road, slipping a hand onto my knee. I tensed as the heat seeped through my thin tights.

"So what's the big deal with me going to La Push tonight?" I asked softly. He tensed immediately, the muscles in his arms bunching as his fists clenched.

"There's something Sam needs us to take care off. And I'd feel safer if you were in La Push. Emily and Kim and Claire will be there too." He spoke as if this was all I needed to know and I felt my anger rise.

"Why would I be safer in La Push?" I asked.

"Abby, please, just trust me with this. I'll explain… I'll explain everything later, I promise." He stumbled over his words as he clenched his jaw.

"I don't know if I want…"

"Abby! Seriously, just stay in Emily's for a few hours." His voice was loud and I cringed away from him instinctively, suddenly aware of how volatile his temper was according to his friends and how much bigger he was than me. He took a deep, shaky breath and apologised immediately.

"I'm sorry baby. I didn't mean to scare you." His voice was sorrowful now and I sighed, leaning my head back against the seat.

"It's fine, I guess." I told him. "But I want to go home after Emily's."

"Okay." He agreed quickly. "Anything you want."

We pulled into the parking lot of my building and I climbed out quickly, heading inside before Paul could follow me. The doors of the elevator were almost closed by the time he reached them and I sighed as he reached his hand inside to stop them from closing fully. The short trip upstairs was tense and silent with me watching the floor numbers passing and Paul watching me.

"You're mad."

"Yep." I popped my lips as I spoke and he winced. I looked at him out of the corner of my eyes as I unlocked my door, wondering what he was thinking. His face was screwed up as if he was in pain and I fought my urge to wrap my arms around him and make sure he was all right. I won the fight and headed for my bedroom, closing the door behind me.

I stood there for a few seconds, unmoving, wondering at his behaviour. Paul had hinted at his temper before and the few times I had spoken to his friends they had all hinted at it too but I had never seen it, not really. Sure, he got mad and defended me if anyone touched me at a bar and he was always mad at Alex but I had never seen him yell like that before. And I had to admit that it scared me slightly. Maybe the whole sweet, sensitive boyfriend thing was an act to entrap me? What if he was violent? I had no chance against a guy Paul's size. I felt my breathing speed up in panic and I ordered myself to relax. I could hear him standing outside the unlocked door and I chided myself. Paul was less likely to be abusive than I was. He wouldn't hurt me and I knew it. He was under stress and he was taking it out on me and that was fine because I did it to him. I took a deep breath and stripped out of my uniform, throwing it into the hamper and sliding a pair of jeans on.

It took me ten minutes to locate one of my shoes and another five at the mirror to get my hair to sit. I had dyed it cherry red a few days ago and I loved it. It suited me. When I opened the door, Paul wasn't there. I frowned and pulled my leather jacket over my arms and headed towards the kitchen. He was sitting at the small table, staring morosely at the wall.

"Hey you ready to go?" I asked. He looked up and nodded, following me outside and pausing as I locked my door. We walked in silence towards the car and climbed in slowly.

"I'm not mad." I told him. He glanced at me, unbelieving, as he started the car and I sighed. "Well I am but I'm not, you know what I mean? I'm mad that you won't tell me what's going on and I'm a little scared that your so tense but I'm not really mad at _you_."

His smile was bright and made every last bit of tension drop from my body. He tentatively reached a hand towards me and I reached out and claimed it, lacing my fingers through his. His smile widened and we continued to drive in silence but it's comfortable this time. The pad of his thumb stroked the skin of my hand softly and I smiled.

Emily's house was brightly lit by the time we pulled in next to it. The back door was open but the screen was closed and I could make out the shape of a few people in the kitchen.

"Don't go outside at all, okay?" Paul told me before I could climb out of the car. I looked at him and nodded. "Promise me."

"I promise." I told him. "But when you get back you're telling me what the hell is going on."

"Promise." He agreed, clenching his jaw again. I nodded once more and climbed out of the car, rushing through the rain to get inside.

"Hey Abby." Jared greeted me as soon as I was inside. "Paul out there?"

I nodded and he grinned, stepping around me.

"Alright then, I'll see you gals later." He reached down to kiss Kim and I looked away. It was a simple, innocent kiss but looking at them made me feel like I was watching something a lot more intimate than that. Maybe it was the way Kim's hand strayed to Jared's bare chest, stroking the skin directly over his heart or maybe it was the way Jared's hand automatically slid up Kim's shirt and rested on the small of her back. They were pressed so closely together that I was hard to tell when one ended and the other began. I kept my gaze on the floor until I heard Paul's chuckle. Suddenly I was pressed against his chest and his lips were covering mine. His hands slid into my hair and my eyes fluttered closed as he increased the pressure. His tongue was soft as it stroked my bottom lip, asking for entrance.

"I leave for five minutes and my house becomes a make out spot." Emily chuckled. I pulled back from Paul with a grin and he returned the gesture.

"Stay inside the house." He warned me as Jared kissed Kim a final time. "I love you."

His words didn't register with me until after the screen door had slammed shut behind them. He loved me. It was something I knew but he hadn't said it aloud before. I couldn't help the goofy smile that covered my face as I followed Kim and Emily into the living room. Claire and another teenage girl I had never met before was sitting there, watching Alice in Wonderland.

"Abby!" Claire greeted me happily. I returned my attention to earth and smiled at her, catching her easily when she ran to me. Emily had called into the café one day with Claire and the child seemed to be particularly attached to me suddenly. Paul said it was because of the necklace I gave her.

"Hey Claire. How's it hanging?"

"Quil brought me Alice in Wonderland today. Do you want to watch with me?" She looked up at me eagerly and I smiled.

"Sure sweetie. I love Alice in Wonderland."

"Really?" Her eyes were wide as she grinned and tugged at my hand until I was on the couch next to her.

We watched Alice in Wonderland until Claire was asleep. I had kept her entertained by singing along to the songs and now she was lying against me, her small mouth open as she snored lightly.

"Thank God she's asleep." Emily murmured as she lifted her up and headed for the stairs. Kim and Anaise chuckled and settled back into their seats as I watched. Anaise was a pretty girl, with dark features like Kim and Emily, and she seemed easy going.

"So, Abby, how come you're here so early? Paul said you would be working all day and coming over after."

"I got off early. The storm sort of put everyone off coming out for food so we had no customers and five waitresses. I just got lucky today." I replied to Kim. Emily rejoined us, claiming the seat on the other side of the couch. I wondered if she knew what was going on, where the boys were and what they were doing. I wondered if she would tell me if I asked. It was doubtful. I noticed the looks she had been shooting me throughout the afternoon, as if she was expecting me to ask her what was going on. I could see her formulating her answer, just in case. But Paul said he would tell me the truth and I believed him. Sort of. I had never really given much thought to the fact that Paul might have a secret but now all sorts of scenarios were racing though my head. Was he involved with something dangerous? Was he involved in drugs? Some sort of illegal gang? Was he smuggling something illegal into the country? Was I going completely insane?

I shook my head at my own thoughts and then tried to pay attention to what Kim and Anaise were talking about. Emily had gone into the kitchen to stick a pizza into the oven for us.

"Seth said we could go camping next week too." Anaise was saying. "Guess that's out of the question."

Kim chuckled uneasily, glancing at me suddenly. I raised an eyebrow at her and she looked away, flushed. So Kim was in on the secret too and Anaise as well, if her sudden exclamation was anything to go by. I sighed and dug around in my bag for my MP3 player. It had a few games on it that would occupy me for awhile.

"Go ahead and talk." I told them. "I'm going to listen to music."

I ignored their slightly guilty, slightly offended looks and slipped my earphones in. I pressed random and smiled at the song that played. Paul was keeping a secret from me, I knew it. And the fact that the song was the first one to play randomly proved it to me. Sort of.

_If I show you, then I know you won't tell what I've said_

'_Cause two can keep a secret if one of them is dead. _

Song belongs to the Pierces. PLease read and review.


	10. Secret Part Two

Be warned, angst ahead!

_And that's why I'm keepin' secrets. _

_Don't want no one to know. _

_And that's why I'm keepin' secrets, _

_From the one that I love. _

_That's why I _'_m keepin' secrets, _

_Though it's wrong to my baby, _

The hunt lasted longer than we had anticipated and by the time the bloodsucker had passed from our territory to the Cullens I was exhausted. It had been a long, tiring day and now I had to go home to Abby and tell her my secret. I had to tell her that I was a freak who could turn into a werewolf at will and that I had been lying to her for the past three and a half months. I knew it wasn't going to be pretty. Sam had to order me to stop thinking about it while we had a job to do because my mind was racing so fast at the prospect of coming clean.

I stopped just behind a tree outside Sam's house and phased back, dressing quickly, and followed Jared through the dark trees towards the brightly lit house. Emily and Kim were in the kitchen, talking softly over two cups of coffee and they looked up as we came in, relief flooding their features. Emily motioned towards the living room when she saw my weary look and I flashed a smile at her before Sam lifted her up in a tight embrace.

Abby lay on the sofa, her eyes closed and her IPOD lying on her chest. She wasn't asleep but she wasn't far off either and I smiled at the sight. Seth's recent imprint, Anaise, sat on the other armchair, flicking through a magazine. She looked up at me when I entered and smiled carefully. Seth had no doubt told her I was the angry werewolf and to be careful around me and I smiled back ruefully. I hadn't phased accidentally due to anger since I had met Abby but it would take a long time for that label to wear off.

"Is Seth back?" She asked softly, standing and dropping the magazine onto the chair. I nodded and jerked a thumb behind me just as Seth ambled in. He picked Anaise up and kissed her passionately and I looked away. When I looked at Seth I still saw the young fourteen year old werewolf that we all thought of as a kid. It was weird seeing him so grown up and in love. I looked away from their private reunion and found Abby watching it with calculating eyes.

"I'd welcome you back like that but unlike everyone else, I don't know why I'm supposed to be so relieved." She told me softly and I winced. There was no outward malice in her voice but I caught the hard edge anyway.

"Let's go home." I sighed, helping her to her feet. She nodded and threw her IPOD into her bag before slinging it over her shoulder and nodding at Seth and Anaise. They had parted and were watching us with supportive eyes. Seth clapped me on the shoulder as we passed, telling me good luck so quietly that only I could hear it. I nodded at him in thanks and followed Abby through the suddenly quiet kitchen. Jared stood with his arms around Kim, his cheek resting against her hair as they watched us. Sam had one arm slung over Emily's shoulder and she was curved against his side, her head resting against his chest and they were watching carefully as well. Abby glanced at them briefly, telling them goodbye, before opening the screen and walking outside.

"I am so screwed." I muttered before following her. I could hear Jared's quiet chuckle behind me and I ignored him as I climbed into the car.

"You want to go to my place or…?"

"I want to go home." She told me quietly. I winced again but started the car.

It was ten minutes into the drive before she spoke again. She kept her eyes on the window beside her and didn't reach for the radio. I had never seen her in a car without music. I had come to associate music with Abby. It surrounded her so much that it was hard not to think of one without thinking of the other. If she wasn't listening to music then she was singing. It was unnatural for her to be so quiet for so long.

"Are you going to tell me?" She asked suddenly. I glanced at her and sighed. I didn't even know how to start. Should I ease her into it? Tell her the legends first and then explain that they were true? Or should I come right out and tell her what I was? What I had been hunting that night?

"I'll tell you when we get to the apartment." I promised, the words sounding hollow to my sensitive ears. I had a funny feeling in the pit of my stomach. This wasn't going to end well, I just knew it.

I prayed to a god I didn't believe in for time to slow down but instead it seemed to speed up and we reached her apartment faster than usual. I parked slowly and tried to drag my feet a little as we went inside but Abby rushed ahead of me, calling an elevator and stepping in while I was only half way across the foyer.

Once inside her apartment I pulled her against me, burying my fingers in her hair and kissing her as passionately as I could. I wanted her to feel how much I loved her. I wanted to pour it into her mouth and down her throat so that it spread through every inch of her. I needed her to realise how I felt. She didn't struggle against me but she didn't kiss me back with as much enthusiasm as she usually did. I pulled back and looked down at her, suddenly terrified. I couldn't live without her. I knew that but she didn't. If she didn't believe me she would think I was some whack job and toss me out and I would have no access to her and I don't think I could live like that.

"Paul? Are you involved in something illegal?" Her voice was cold as she looked up at me and I fought against a chuckle. How wrong could she be?

"No, I'm not. Abby, I need to tell you something and I don't want you to freak out, okay?"

"That's not the best way to start a conversation." She told me.

"I know, but it's the only way I have so just hear me out, okay?"

I poured it all out. I told her about out ancestors turning into wolves and fighting the cold ones. I told her about the magic that runs through the tribe's veins. I told her about the imprinting. She listened with rapt attention, furrowing her brow and frowning at me as I finished.

"What has that got to do with you?" She asked. I could see the cogs turning in her head and I knew that if I didn't answer her she would come to the conclusion herself and that would be a lot worse.

"Abby, I'm a wolf. A werewolf." I told her. I watched her eyes widen and her mouth drop open before it slammed shut and her eyes narrowed at me. They were cold suddenly, filled with emotions I had never associated with her.

"Funny. Ha ha."

"I'm serious. Baby, listen. The blood was passed down through the generations. It's only activated if there are vampires around and a few years ago…"

"Right, of course! How silly of me not to factor in the vampires! I can see it happening now. Lestat stopped by the neighbourhood for a bite and all of a sudden bam! You're a wolfman. Makes total sense now." Her voice was colder than I had ever heard it and I shrank back.

"Abby, listen, please."

"No! I mean, I always thought you guys might have been on steroids but I never realised you were on crack as well. Jesus!"

I recoiled from her anger and whimpered. She hated me. I could practically feel my heart cracking down the middle as she glared at me fiercely. My beautiful, perfect, enchanting mate hated me. I could read it in her eyes. Hate was divided from love only by a thin line and Abby had just crossed it. I bowed my head against her glare and fought not to cry.

"Abby, please, listen…"

"Why? Why go through the charade for three months if you were going to end it with a pathetic story about made up, mythical creatures? I mean, was it some sort of elaborate hoax? Do you and Jared and Sam get off on hurting people? Please, explain that, Paul." She was shouting now and I cringed. I could see the tears at the corner of her eyes and I hated myself. I shouldn't have told her. I could have gone on pretending if it meant she wouldn't look so desperate, so upset. There was silence for a few minutes as I fought the urge to howl in grief. Abby's heart was pounding, from fear or hatred or anger. Probably all three.

"Get out of my damn apartment and don't come near me again." Her voice was calm this time, uncaring, and it was much worse than the anger.

"Abby…"

"Get out!" She screamed. She picked something up and hurled it at me. I moved at the last second and a glass smashed against the wall behind me. I stared at her sorrowfully for a few seconds before turning to the door.

"I'll be around if you need me." I told her. "Just call my name. I'll be looking out for you. Watching to make sure you're safe."

"Yeah, well the only thing you're going to see is me fucking Alex so I wouldn't watch too closely. Unless you get off on that as well." She hissed at me. I closed the door and rushed down the stairs, needing to be out in the air. I headed for the woods behind her building and phased immediately, ignoring the tearing of my clothes as the heat spread throughout my body. She might call Alex but if he so much as laid a finger on her he would be breathing from a tube for the rest of his life.

_Guess it didn't go well, huh?_

Jacob's soft voice interrupted my growl and I sighed inwardly. I had forgotten Jacob and Embry were still patrolling. They were our best fighters so Sam trusted them to work as a pair without the rest of us.

_She hates me, as predicted._ I told them.

_Aw, come on man, I'm sure she doesn't hate you._ Embry assured me. I thought back to the scene I had just left and I felt the two of them wince at her sharp words.

_Damn. She's feisty._ I heard the smile in Embry's voice and I growled.

_Who's Alex?_ Jacob wondered. I sighed and thought back to our first conversation in the café, when she had explained to me about her 'arrangement' with Alex. He winced again.

_Dude, that sucks. Want me to bite his fingers off for you? _Jacob asked. I chuckled darkly.

_He won't have fingers left when I'm done with him_ I assured him. Jacob chuckled ruefully before the three of us fell silent for a while. I could hear Abby through the open window in her kitchen. She was on the phone with someone, talking quietly and I prayed it wasn't Alex. I didn't want him near her.

_She'll come around, man. She has to realise how much she misses you sometime, right?_ Jacob assured me. I tried to cling to his optimism but I couldn't. All I could think of was those small tears in the corner of her eyes that she refused to shed in front of me. My beautiful, brave Abby. I prayed that she would forgive me at some point and that she would accept me for who I was. If I could change the fact that I was a wolf, I would do it for her. If she came back to me I would find the self control to stop phasing and become a normal guy, for her.

_Dude it doesn't work like that _Jacob reminded me.

_I know._ I replied sullenly. _But I can dream, right? Since that's the closest I'm going to get to her now._

I heard a car pull up and I growled, stalking towards the side of the building. I saw Mark's familiar face and sighed in relief. As long as it wasn't Alex.

_Isn't that the guy in her band?_

_Yep. But it's not the one I want to kill. He's her best friend. _I told them.

_You going to head home anytime soon?_ Jacob asked softly. He was being surprisingly supportive and I felt grateful towards him. He knew how I felt, I guess. He had felt what it was like to see someone turn away from you because of what you were. Or in his case, who he wasn't.

_Dude, you make it sound like I'm a heartless bastard_ Jacob chuckled. _I'm not Leah._

I chuckled and lay down in the soft grass. I would wait here tonight, to make sure that she was okay. I could hear her sobbing now, no doubt telling Mark what a crack pot I was. I wanted to be there, holding her and telling her that it would all work out. But now I couldn't and I might never be able to again. The idea hurt my heart and I let out a desperate, wounded howl.

I was still there when the sky lightened and the rain stopped. Mark had stayed the night and for his sake he had better have slept on the sofa. Abby had stopped sobbing around three in the morning and the apartment had been silent since then.

I paced around the building, being careful to stay so close that no one looking out their window would see me. A huge silver wolf was a little conspicuous in Port Angeles.  
A sound from the apartment pulled my attention to Abby's window and I strained my eyes to hear what was being said. I could hear Mark's voice, telling her he had to take off and that he would stop by later. Abby told him she would be fine and then said goodbye. I watched the door of the apartment when Mark pushed it open. He headed for his car, his cell phone at his ear.

"I don't care if she calls, Alex. Stay away from her this time. I'm going to go and see Paul and see what happened… Alex, if you go near her I will beat you black and blue. This isn't like all the other times… I don't care if she calls! You tell her you have plans or something…. Don't kid yourself, Alex, she doesn't need you. She needs Paul and she's going to get him as soon as I can figure out a way to make this right."

He hung up the phone and I suddenly felt unbelievably grateful to him. I had always liked Mark because he was honest and he cared about Abby but now I felt so much more appreciative of him.

I broke into a run suddenly, heading for La Push. I needed to be there before Mark was so that I could change and look presentable. Would I need to tell Mark the truth about myself? Would Sam allow me to? He had to if it was the only way to get Abby to come back to me. I frowned at the thought and pushed myself to go faster. I stopped at home first, phasing behind the house and rushing inside to throw on a pair of old cut offs, the only kind I owned, and a white beater. I tried to calm my breathing as I headed towards Sam's. I tried to think of how I would approach the subject of telling Mark. Sam was always so concerned about our pack safety and our secret. Would he really allow me to tell an outsider?

"Hey Paul." Emily's smile was small and sad and I knew that Jacob had told them how last night had went. Sam sat at the kitchen table, looking at me sadly.

"What are you going to do?" He asked. I scratched the back of my neck.

"Her best friend is on his way over her to talk to me about it." I replied. "And I want to tell him the truth."

There was stunned silence as Emily and Sam exchanged looks. I turned to Emily, knowing that if I got her on my side then Sam was bound to follow.

"It's not that she's afraid of me being a werewolf." I told them quickly. "She just doesn't believe me. She thinks it's some sort of elaborate joke. If I could just show Mark…"

"Paul, we can't expose ourselves like that." Sam told me. I kept my eyes on Emily, watching as her resolve wavered. It was unfair to use her and I knew it but it was the only chance I had. I could see the sadness in her eyes and I knew it was for me. If I could use that, twist it so that she agreed with me…

"He wouldn't tell anyone…"

"Paul, no. I'm telling you no now." Sam knew I was getting through to Emily and he knew that if she asked, he wouldn't be able to say no. It was something the pack had picked up on a few years ago. He was the Alpha and we followed his orders but Emily was his entire world and he followed her every whim.

"Please?" I let the desperation slip into my voice as I spoke and I watched Emily crumble with disgusted satisfaction. I hated myself for using her but if it got Abby back then I would do it a million times over.

"Sam, honey, Paul deserves to be happy too." Emily told him. I could feel his glare on me and I refused to meet it. I didn't want to see the anger and disappointment in his eyes. I had used Emily to get my own way and Sam hated that. I would no doubt feel his anger the next time we phased but the pain would be nothing compared to how I felt right now.

"Fine. You can tell this Mark guy but if this comes back to haunt us then I hope you remember that it was you who brought about the downfall of the pack." He growled at me. I nodded, still not meeting his gaze. "And I hope you know that I'm going to kick your ass for using Emily like that."

A knock on the door brought us out of our thoughts and I looked up, knowing it was Mark. Emily walked to the door and pulled it open to reveal the dishevelled man I had seen this morning. He smiled at her, nervously, before stepping inside.

"Hey Mark."

"Hey Paul." He greeted me wearily. "Look, I only came to say a few things. Abby has been happier with you than I've seen her in a long time. She's so much healthier when she's with you. She drinks less, she doesn't smoke. She's practically glowing and the Abby I knew didn't glow. I like the new Abby. I like that she's happy. Whatever you did last night brought the old Abby back. She downed a bottle of vodka before I even got there and she didn't stop there. She said something about you being on drugs?" He took a deep breath and glanced at me before turning to stare at Emily's scars for a few seconds. It was a few seconds too long and Sam stepped in front of Emily protectively and bared his teeth at Mark. He got the message and turned back to me.

"I need to know the truth. Are you on any type of drugs? Or involved in anything illegal? Because I don't want my best friend involved in any type of shit that could get her into trouble, no matter how happy you make her."

I shook my head.

"Do you love her?"

I nodded this time, my lips pursed slightly in confusion. Didn't she tell him about the wolf bit?

"Then I'll help you with her." He caught my surprised look and chuckled. "She's my best friend, Paul, and the last thing I want is for her to spiral downwards and when's she's single and with Alex, that's exactly what happens. She needs stability in her life and you give her that. I know she loves you and if you love her… well, it's a start. She doesn't love Alex and she doesn't like the way he uses her but Abby craves human contact and if he's the only way to get it, then so be it." I growled at the sound of Alex's name and Mark shot me a weird look.

"This is what we're going to do…"

dum dum dummmm! what do you all think? let me know if you liked or disliked it. The song belongs to Nina Sky


	11. Hurt

More angst in this as well folks! sorry!

--

_I hurt myself today_

_To see if I still feel_

_I focus on the pain_

_The only thing that real_

I stared out the window as the rain lashed angrily against the glass. The weather had been awful for the past week and it had matched my foul mood perfectly. I leant my head against the surface, letting the cold glass sooth my fevered skin. I had drank almost a full bottle of Jack Daniels last night and I was feeling it today. I had been in the bathroom since eleven, throwing up all the alcohol I had consumed in the past few days. I felt like shit but I couldn't summon the energy to actually care. Life wasn't worth it right now.

I could hear my cell phone ringing in the next room but I didn't move to answer it. I already knew who was calling me. It was the same person who had been calling me every hour on the hour for the past week. He seemed to be getting about as much sleep as I was, I thought ruefully. I was exhausted. I had spent every night for the past week drinking my weight in liquor in an attempt to stop the dreams but it was impossible. As soon as my eyes closed I could see the huge silver wolf, howling desperately to the moon as it's familiar dark eyes stared at me sorrowfully. I had seen the wolf the night after he had told me the ridiculous stories, outside my kitchen window in the woods. It had been there at ten pm that night and it was still there when I came back at one pm the next day. It had scared me. Terrified me actually and not for the obvious reasons. The wolf's eyes, so dark, were _his _eyes. And that would mean he was telling me the truth. That would mean I kicked out the most important thing in my life and called him a liar and a crack pot while he was telling me the truth.

But then I would remind myself that people did not turn into giant silver wolves. I would tell myself to put down the bottle, because it was obviously the alcohol that had this effect on me. But instead I would pick up another bottle and try to drown the sight of the wolf out.

Even now, sitting here sober, I could not imagine the wolf was real. I was grasping at straws; so desperate to have Paul back that I was willing to imagine a giant wolf to justify seeing him again. It was insane. It just wasn't like me.

A knock at the front door made me jump and I sighed, closing my eyes. It was Mark. It had to be. He was the only person who had been here for the past week. I coughed as I headed for the door, feeling the tell tale tickle in the back of my throat. I was coming down with the cold. It was bound to happen when I spent so much of my time at the open window, allowing myself to get soaked with rain and then dried by the wind. I sighed and made a note to send Mark out to get me chamomile later.

The person on the other side of the door was not what I was expecting and I went to slam the door in his face but he caught it easily, holding it open.

"Abby, listen to me. Please."

He stepped inside, shaking the water out of his dark hair and smiling at me. I continued to glare at him, wishing that I had just stayed in my room.

"What do you want, Jared?"

"I want you to wise up and listen to Paul." Straight to the point. I would be amused if this wasn't so not funny.

"I want a boyfriend who doesn't make up the most ridiculous lies." I fired back. "I mean, really. Did you hear what he said?"

"He's telling you the truth." I scoffed at him and crossed my arms over my chest. I didn't want to deal with this right now. I had a gig that night and I wanted to have a hot shower and at least four cups of coffee before I headed out.

"Sure, and haven't you heard? I'm the wicked witch of the east. Dracula showed up and this thing sort of ignited in me and brought out my witchy genes."

"Stop being such a bitch." Jared growled. I rolled my eyes pointedly and pointed to the door.

"You don't want to hear it, then piss off. I didn't ask you to come in."

"No, but my best friend is seriously hurting because of you." I laughed bitterly. "I'm serious. You have no idea what he's going through and worse, you don't care. You won't even give him the benefit of doubt…"

"Are you for real? If he had shown up and said he was on drugs, I would have given him the benefit of the doubt. If had been in some sort of legal trouble; if he'd been involved with someone else… I could have handled any of that. But to lie to me like that? I mean, Jesus. Werewolves don't exist outside of Hollywood and fairytales, Jared. I can't go out with a guy who's _that _delusional."

There was silence before he shook his head sadly.

"He can prove it, you know."

His words lingered with me while I dressed for the gig. The black dress wasn't something I usually went for but after the shit week I had had I was in the mood to get drunk and work out my frustrations on Alex. He had bought me the dress last year, during one of our 'on' periods and I had never worn it. I knew he would look once and know that it was a sign.

My make up was heavy to mask the sickly look of my skin and there was nothing I could do to mask the lankness of my hair. I looked awful and I felt worse but Mark had insisted that we not cancel any more gigs so I was being forced to act as though nothing was wrong.

_He can prove it, you know._ How? How could he possibly prove he was a wolf? And why the hell was I even considering asking him to?

I groaned out loud as I packed my bag. I had yet to admit to myself fully how much I missed him. He was usually here when I was getting ready for a gig, sitting in the corner and making dirty remarks as I dressed. I could almost feel his hand caressing the length of my spine as I thought of the way he touched me; careful as if I was something breakable.

I felt the tears well up again as I thought of his smile; that happy grin that lit up his entire face and made him appear so carefree and relaxed. God I missed him. I missed him so much.

I dropped onto the bed, curling up into myself, and let the tears fall. I cried so hard that my entire body shook with sobs but I couldn't stop myself. I didn't know how to halt the tears or how to even slow them down. I was stupid for numbing the pain with alcohol. I should have cried it all out as soon as it happened and then I would be fine now. Yeah, Abby, keep telling yourself that.

I missed him so much! How had he become so essential to my happiness and well being in less than four months? Why the hell did I feel like I was missing part of myself?

A loud rap at the door pulled me out of my thoughts and I growled slightly, curling up into myself further. I didn't want to see anyone or talk to anyone. I wanted to lie her and wallow for at least an hour.

"Abby, open the damn door." Mark's voice bellowed through the apartment and I sighed. Why was he so damn insistent that we play tonight? At Jared's bar of all places. I froze, half sitting and half laying, as I realised exactly what he was up to. He had invited Paul to the damn gig. I knew he had.

"Is he coming to the gig?" I asked as soon as I opened the door. I felt Mark's eyes move over me quickly, taking in the tight black dress and heels. He shook his head and sighed.

"How should I know?" He snapped. "You had better get changed. I'm not letting you go to some sleazy bar dressed like that. And wash your face."

Mark was convinced I was bringing the pain on myself. He had come over the night I called him and held me while I sobbed but after that he had taken to trying to convince me to talk to Paul. He had finally told me to grow up yesterday when he caught me drinking vodka and Coke from a plastic bottle. I knew he had my best interests at heart but as my best friend, shouldn't he be on my side? Of course, I hadn't told him the whole story. I had told him Paul was doing something illegal and dangerous. I hadn't mentioned the wolves and I wasn't entirely sure why.

"I like this dress." I replied stubbornly. He narrowed his eyes at me and shook his head.

"Abby, go and put on jeans. Seriously. We're already late and I'm really not in the mood."

I rolled my eyes at him and stormed back towards my bedroom, slamming the door behind me. The tears were gone now, replaced by more anger. He had managed to turn Mark against me, Mark who had stood by me through every break up I had ever gone through. Mark had even taken my side against Alex, and he was his best friend at the time! How had Paul managed to win over the one person who was always on my side?

I growled as I flung my dress across the room, pulling on a pair of tight black jeans. And who the hell was Mark to tell me how to dress? I could wear whatever the hell I wanted. If I wanted to wear a black dress I could. I almost reached for the buttons of my jeans but pulled back, sighing. I knew Mark was looking out for me. He didn't want anything bad to happen to me, and Alex was classed in the 'bad for Abby' category. I pulled a vest over my upper body and grabbed my bag. I didn't bother to fix my hair or my make up, instead choosing to stand and glare at Mark as he spoke into his cell phone. He nodded at me and I threw my leather jacket over my arm, switching the lights off as he led the way out the door.

--

The bar was crowded by the time we got there, loud voices filled with laughter spilling out onto the street. I followed closely behind Mark, ready to make a run for it at the first sight of any tall, muscular, copper skinned men. Or women, for that matter. He had already sent Jared to talk to me, what was stopping him sending Emily or Kim? Would I listen to them, I wondered. If he had sent Kim, would I have paid more attention to her than I had to Jared? Maybe I was already prejudiced against him since he looked so much like Paul. They could have been brothers. It was hard to look at him and not see _him. _

I shook my head and silently ordered myself not to think about him tonight. I was going to get drunk, do my set and then find a way to sneak out with Alex and actually feel something other than this intense fucking pain in my gut. Then in the morning I would get up, shake myself and get on with my life.

"Hey there." Alex's breath hit against the side of my neck as he approached me at the bar and I frowned. Six months ago, Alex's breath on my neck would have made me melt into a puddle. Now it made me feel uncomfortable. It wasn't hot enough. His voice wasn't husky enough and he smelled of expensive cologne that made me gag slightly. I definitely preferred…. No, I wouldn't think of him.

"Guess Mark's been keeping you on a pretty tight leash." I teased Alex as I forced the thoughts out of my mind. He shrugged and lifted his beer bottle to his lips with a smirk. I studied him as he drank, wondering silently if I could actually do this. Could I sleep with him, the way I had when every other relationship had ended? It felt different this time. I had lost so much more than usual and I didn't know if it would be healed by a quick fuck. He would feel different from Paul. His hands wouldn't be as hot on my skin and his mouth wouldn't be as soft, as careful. For all the times I had had sex with Alex over the years, he had never made me feel the way Paul could when he touched me.

I growled inwardly again and turned away from Alex, looking behind the bar for someone other than Jared. There was someone at the end of the bar, serving a group of people, and I realised belatedly, with a jolt in my stomach, that it was Paul. His hair was tied up in a ponytail and he was wearing the same uniform as Jared. He turned away from the group he was serving and looked straight at me, dark eyes sad and scared. I was frozen on the spot. I could hear Alex's voice but I couldn't take in anything he was saying. Paul moved slowly towards the bar towards me and I panicked. I couldn't deal with this right now. I needed to get away.

"Hey, we're up." Mark grabbed my arm and led me away from the bar, shooting a significant look at Paul. I glanced over my shoulder and caught his eye again. He looked so sad. I felt the tears well up again and had to force myself to face forward. I couldn't just take one look into his eyes and suddenly decide that it was all okay. It didn't work like that. I was mad at him, for God's sake. The sight of his sad eyes shouldn't have this effect.

I let Alex pull me onto the stage and for one spiteful second, I consider kissing him. I knew Paul would see and I wanted him to suffer like I'd been suffering. I accepted the microphone and cleared my throat, glancing at Alex. He was my cue tonight and he nodded once for me to start. I opened my mouth and began to sing softly. Tonight's set was filled with sad songs. It was cathartic, singing my heart out in front of him… and his entire group of friends. I could make them out in the corner, a group of insanely tall, dark men and a few smaller women. Their eyes were trained on me as I sang and I fought the urge to scowl at them. I could feel Paul's gaze too, burning a hole through my skin. I finally closed my eyes and concentrated on singing, on getting my point across the way I knew best.

_What have I become? My sweetest friend_

_Everyone I know goes away in the end_

_And you could have it all_

_My empire of dirt_

_I will let you down_

_I will make you hurt_

Alex strummed his guitar softly, and it was only the sound of that that kept me going when I opened my eyes again. Paul stood at the end of the bar, staring directly at me. His hands were convulsing around a napkin as he watched and Jared stood behind him, watching carefully. Maybe Paul was in as bad a state as I was, I mused as I sang.

_If I could start again, a million miles away_

_I would keep myself_

_I would find a way_

I forced myself to remember that werewolves don't exist. That no matter how sad Paul looked right now, it was nothing compared to what I've felt for the past week. I let Mark speak to the crowd instead of me. I couldn't have said anything anyway. I was too busy watching Paul. He was ignoring the customers at the bar. He was ignoring whatever Jared was furiously whispering in his ear. He wasn't paying attention to anything other than me and it was unnerving.

I tore my gaze away from him and smiled at the crowd, hoping I looked convincing. Alex was beside me again, smirking at me knowingly and I returned the look, knowing that Paul could see me. A few more songs and I could get out of here. It was the only thought that kept me going for the next forty minutes.

By the time I climbed off the stage I was exhausted. I wanted to crawl into bed and sleep for a month. I followed Mark towards the bar, ensuring that I kept my eyes on the people around the bar rather than the people behind it.

"Hey Abby." I looked up and saw Kim' friendly face and I inwardly groaned. I didn't have the energy to deal with this right now.

"Hey Kim." I replied flatly. She winced slightly before regaining her sunny smile.

"You were fantastic up there." Kim told me. She was fiddling with her hands and I smiled bitterly. So they had decided to send her up against her will. It was nice to know.

"Thanks Kim. I have to go." I motioned towards Alex, who was standing behind her with an impatient look on his face. "But it was nice talking to you."

She looked surprised when I moved around her and accepted Alex's offered hand. We were almost out the door when Mark caught up to us.

"Don't do something you'll regret Abby." He told me softly, glaring at Alex. "I can't stop you but think about it. It ain't Alex you want."

I ignored him and pulled Alex out to the street. He was cackling softly behind me as we headed for his car. I was almost inside when I heard the door of the bar slam open. Paul strode towards us, an angry look on his face as he glared at Alex.

"You even think about touching her and I'll break every bone in your body." He growled. I shivered at the intensity of the words and looked at Alex for a reaction. He had that insane smirk on his face that he got sometimes when he was drunk and feeling invincible and I winced slightly as his hand came up to caress my neck. Like before, I didn't feel as good as it used to. I caught myself staring wistfully at Paul's hand, wishing that it was his hand stroking my skin.

"I'm already touching her." Alex goaded. I pulled myself out of the way just in time to see Paul dive at Alex, his hand curled into a fist that connected with Alex's nose twice. Suddenly Alex was on the ground, clutching his nose as blood slipped through his fingers onto the ground below him. Paul stood over him, his back to me. I watched him as he tried to still the shudders running through him, wondering if I should reach out a hand.

He turned to look at me slowly, his eyes downcast and I felt a little bit of my resolve slipping. He looked like a wounded puppy. Like I had kicked him when he was hurt. I felt myself shaking as I stared up at him, my gaze as steady as I could make it.

"Abby." I closed my eyes at the sound of my name and prayed for strength as his voice washed over me.

--

The song belongs to Nine Inch Nails but the Johnny Cash version is the one i'm using. Let me all know what you think! Oh, Momentarily Infinite: Anaise is pronounced 'aah-ney'.


	12. The End of the World

Wow, i'm really getting through these chapters now. Paul and Abby really inspire me. hope you all enjoy it. let me know what you think.

She was so light in my arms. Much lighter than she usually was. A week long drinking binge and purge would do that to a person and I felt sick. I had caused this. I was the reason this beautiful, perfect, vivacious woman was a shadow of herself. Her skin was more grey than white and her hair was dull and greasy as it hung limply down her back.

I carried her easily towards my car, carefully opening the door and gently sliding her onto the back seat. I closed the door so that the cold air wouldn't get in at her and leant my head against the roof for a few minutes. I needed to think; to formulate some sort of game plan in my head for when she woke up. I hadn't been thinking when Mark had rushed over to the bar to tell me that she was leaving with Alex. I had immediately rushed outside, fists swinging, without thinking of how Abby would react. My heart had literally stopped beating as I watched her legs give out from under her. I had never seen anyone faint before and being so powerless to help her had scared me.

I looked up from the car as Alex stood, unsteadily, on his feet. He glared at me and I returned the look. I could still feel the rage pulsing through my veins as I looked at him. How dare he touch my mate? How dare he even go near her? I growled at him, taking a step closer, and then watched his resolve falter. He glanced around him, before wiping his bloody nose on the bottom of his tshirt.

"Forget it. She's not worth it." He muttered, giving me the finger and climbing into the car beside him. He sped out of the car park as I watched and I sighed in disappointment. I needed to hit something, and Alex was as good a punching bag as anyone else.

The door banged open and I turned to see Sam, Emily, Jared and Kim pile outside, behind Mark. He looked around anxiously before turning accusing eyes on me.

"You let them go?"

"What? No." I growled at him. "Abby passed out and is in the back seat of my car. Alex took off after I busted his nose."

I watched Mark heave a sigh of relief and thought, not for the first time, how indebted to him I was. He had been such a help this past week that I knew I would never be able to repay him, not really. Without questioning anything, he had managed to get me a job here, managed to convince Abby to play here, managed to get her to stop drinking yesterday… the list went on. He was a good friend to her and I was glad. She needed someone like that in her life if she wasn't willing to take me back.

"Are you taking her home?" Sam asked. I nodded, glancing back at my car to make sure she was still there. I was terrified that she was going to somehow slip through my fingers. "Good luck man."

"I'll tell Joe you had a family emergency." Jared assured me. "Let us know how it goes."

I nodded at them and then slowly walked towards the car. As quietly as possible, I opened the door, climbed in and started the car. I could see her in the mirror, her mouth open slightly as she breathed through it and her eyes closed peacefully. She looked sick. Really sick. I had to make sure she got better; I had to ensure she got back to her old self. I could offer to throw myself off a cliff if that helped.

The drive to her house passed in no time and I lifted her easily out of the car. She muttered something in her sleep and I froze, one hand still poised to shut the car. Had she said silver wolf? She buried her head further into my shoulder and I closed the door. Maybe I had misheard. Or maybe I was so desperate that I was hearing what I wanted to, rather than what was actually being said. Either way, standing in the cold with an unconscious woman in my arm was a little conspicuous.

After setting her onto her unmade bed, I had walked around the apartment, inhaling her familiar scent greedily. It was mixed with the scent of alcohol now, a sickly sweet scent that made me scrunch my nose up in disgust.

I threw open the window in the kitchen and the one in the living room and began to pick up the glass bottles that littered the room, feeling more and more disgusted as I went on. Vodka and whiskey and rum and gin… I couldn't find any mixer bottles and the thought of Abby drinking so much straight liquor had my own stomach turning. Dumping the bottles into a cardboard box, I shrugged the uncomfortable black shirt off my shoulders, throwing it onto the newly cleared table. I toyed with the remote for a few seconds before switching the CD player on. I didn't know the song that was playing but it was slow and melancholy and suited the mood perfectly as I washed the dishes and stared out at the dark forest.

_Why does the sun go on shining? _

_Why does the sea rush to shore? _

_Don't they know it's the end of the world?_

_'Cause you don't love me any more _

_Why do the birds go on singing? _

_Why do the stars glow above? _

_Don't they know it's the end of the world?_

_It ended when I lost your love_

It was stupid to think that an old love song could aptly describe my feelings but as I listened to the words I knew that it could. The song managed to depict every since thought that had gone through my head in the past week. When Abby had thrown me out, my entire world had practically imploded in on itself. There wasn't much point in breathing if she wasn't with me. My world had ended a week ago but maybe, if I could convince her to believe me, it could be put back together again.

It was an hour later that I had finished tidying up the apartment. I closed the windows, satisfied that the cold winter air had purged the room of the stench of stale alcohol and smoke. The dishes were done and put away, the hallway was cleared of all the clothes and magazines and other trash that littered it. Soft music was still playing as I made my way towards the bedroom, wanting to make sure that Abby was okay.

She was lying on her side, curled up into a small ball as she snored softly and I frowned. Her brows were furrowed, as if she was worried about something, and I found myself rushing down to the living room to turn off the music and the lights and to make sure the door was locked, before hurrying back to her room. I hesitated before slipping my trousers off, throwing them into the corner of the room and climbing onto the bed with her. She instinctively moved backwards, towards me, murmuring under her breath again. This time I was sure I heard her saying 'silver wolf'. So she had seen me. The thought both elated and depressed me. If she had seen me as a wolf and not said anything, maybe she just didn't care.

"Paul…" Her voice was so weak as she breathed against my chest that I tightened my grip on her small frame. Having her so close to me after a week of forced separation was heaven. I breathed her in, running my hands across her back and down her arms and legs, making sure that there was nothing wrong with her. She sighed my name again, this time with a little smile and I grinned. She was dreaming about me. The thought had never made me so happy before. I grinned, ecstatic, and lay my head next to hers.

"I love you baby."

"Paul… Paul. Dammit Paul, wake the hell up."

I groaned and reached out blindly, wanting to pull Abby down against me again. I could already feel the absence of her cool body against my side and I wasn't even fully awake yet. I hadn't slept properly in a week, spending my nights on the outskirts of the forest just behind the apartments. I didn't want to wake up so soon and face the fact that Abby most likely still hated me while conscious.

"Come on, Paul. I know you're awake."

I opened one eye cautiously and sighed in relief. She didn't look as angry as she had although she didn't look happy to find me in her bed either. I sat up with a yawn, popping my shoulders as I stretched. I could feel her eyes on my stomach muscles and chuckled silently. As least she still found me physically attractive.

"What happened last night? Last thing I remember is playing and then talking to Kim and then leaving with Alex. How did I end up here and how did you end up with me? And what happened to my apartment?" Her voice wasn't as weak as it had been yesterday and her skin had regained some colour, I noticed in relief. She was getting better.

"I hit Alex, you fainted, I took you home, put you to bed and tidied you're apartment. Then you said you're name in my sleep and I couldn't resist lying beside you."

There was silence as she digested this, her eyes on the bed rather than on me.

"You shouldn't have hit him." She finally responded and I felt myself sag in disappointment. It wasn't what I had expected her to say. "It was my fault. I was leading him on, letting him think he had a chance."

I wasn't expecting that and I stared at her in confusion as she picked the black polish off her nails. Did she think I blamed her?

"Would you have done it?" I needed to know. She looked at me calmly. There was no hatred, no fear in her eyes but there was no love either. It depressed me more than I could understand.

"I don't know." She finally responded. I let out the breath I hadn't realised I was holding and nodded. Her answer disappointed me. I could deal with it if she had said yes and I would be ecstatic if she said no but the fact that she didn't know upset me and I wasn't sure why. "I was trying to talk myself into it, all day yesterday. I thought that if I had sex with Alex then it would make me feel something other than numbness but… he was talking to me in the bar, whispering in my ear and I realised that it didn't affect me, at all. Alex used to be able to make me melt into a puddle with a certain look but last night… I couldn't do it. It would have felt wrong because it wouldn't have been… " She looked up at me sadly and I knew what she was thinking. It wouldn't have been me. I tried not to smile at the thought, instead focusing on her eyes. They weren't as dead as they had been yesterday, I noticed in relief.

"Anyway, I don't know what I would have done if I had made it home with him." She shrugged.

We were silent for a while as we stared at one another.

"So where do we go from here?" I asked. She shrugged one slim shoulder and I sighed.

"Paul, you have to understand. I can't believe that werewolves exist, I can't…"

"But you saw me." I went out on a limb and congratulated myself as she froze. "The silver wolf, that was me. In my wolf form. I've spent the past week under your window, howling."

"No, I hallucinated that wolf. It doesn't really exist." She insisted. I shook my head and pulled her hands towards me.

"Look, Abby, I love you. I love you more than I have ever or will ever love anything else. You're my whole world and if you still don't believe me then I will happily go out into the woods and phase so that you can see with your own two eyes what I am…"

"Paul." Her voice was weak as she shook her head, closing her eyes as if she was in pain. "I can't do this, not right now. I'm not strong enough to handle this."

"You're strong enough to handle anything." I assured her. "But I don't want to scare you. If you don't want to see me as a wolf, then it's fine. But please, Abby, don't shut me out."

It happened suddenly. One second I was pleading with her not to leave me again and the next I was cradling her head in my palm as she kissed me hungrily. Her cold hands were against my shoulders, her fingernails biting into the skin as clung to me. She whimpered against my lips and I sighed, tightening my grip on her waist. She felt so good against me, so sweet and soft and alive beneath my fingers and my lips that I could feel the weeks worth of tension draining out of my body. I turned us around so that I was above her, holding my weight on my arms as I kissed her again and again, slow kisses that made her sigh followed by quick, hot kisses that made my self control slip. Her hands moved from my shoulders into my hair and she pulled me closer, spreading her legs so that I could lie between them.

"Paul." She gasped as I bit slightly on her lower lip. Her sighs became louder and longer as I moved my attention down her throat to her collarbone. I had discovered that nibbling her collarbone turned her on to the point that she practically moaned in pleasure and she didn't disappoint. Her mouth dropped open and she made the most amazing sound against my ear.

"That feels amazing." I froze suddenly, my tongue flicking against the bite mark I had left on her collarbone and my thoughts racing.

"Why did you stop?" She whined slightly. I pushed myself off her, staring down at her unseeing eyes.

"Are you doing this to feel something?" I asked softly. Was she using me the way she had planned on using Alex? To stop herself from feeling numb?

"So what if I am?" She groaned, pushing herself up on her elbow and staring up at me through heavy lids. She lifted her hips to mine, rolling them against mine slowly and carefully and I hissed. I couldn't do this. I wasn't going to become just another Alex to her.

"Abby, I'm not going to have sex with you when it doesn't mean anything." I told her. She scowled at me and pushed at my chest. I sat back and sighed, rubbing my forehead. If I actually got sick then I would have a migraine pounding right there.

"Why not? Don't pretend you don't want me Paul." She ran her nails down my bare chest and I hissed, watching the triumphant smile light up her face.

"Just because I want you doesn't mean that I'm willing to be used."

"Yeah, and what if that's the only way to have me?"

I froze, looking down at her serious face. Did I really have no other choice? I didn't want to be a fuck buddy to her; I wanted to be everything.

"Well? Changed your mind yet?" She smirked. I shook my head and climbed off the bed, ignoring her protests.

"Look, Abby, I have to tell you something okay. It's part of the whole werewolf thing." I took a deep breath, watching as her face became completely void of all emotions. "We do this thing. It's called imprinting, it's what happens when we find our… our mates."

"Very animalistic." She snorted and I almost smiled. At least she was getting her attitude back.

"Anyway, it's something that allows us to recognise that you've met the one you're supposed to be with for the rest of your life. Its like… the world shifts, and suddenly the only thing holding you in place is her. It was you holding me in place."

She stared at me, her eyes wide and mouth open slightly. "That's insane."

"It's the truth. I imprinted on you that night in the bar. Ever since then you've been my entire world, my reason for existing. If you don't want me then there's no point going on." I shrugged, watching the emotions flitting across her face. She took a deep breath and rubbed her eyes, looked tired suddenly.

"Look Paul, I haven't eaten in a week and I haven't slept properly either. I'm not in the right frame of mind to take all of this in right now, okay. You need to give me time to process this."

I nodded eagerly. Time I could give her, it was something I had plenty of.

"Okay, go back to sleep. I'll go out and get you something to eat and wake you when I get back." I promised. She looked up at me, her eyes wide again.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Because I love you."

"Oh."

I smiled at her, leaning down slowly to drop a kiss on her cheek. She just looked at me and I sighed.

"I won't be long."

"Okay." She slid her way up the bed, pulling the blankets around her like a cocoon and closed her eyes. I stood watching for a few minutes in silence, smiling softly. We were on the right track at least. It might take a while, of course, but I could wait. As long as she didn't despise me.

The relief was palpable as I left the apartment block and headed towards town on foot. I could practically taste it in my mouth. I felt my phone vibrate against my leg and pulled it out of my pocket, smiling as Sam's number flashed across it.

"Hey Sam."

"Paul, we got a problem. Quil picked up the scent along the boarder again. We need you to get back here and patrol. I'm sorry man, bring her with you."

I groaned and turned on my heel, hurrying back to the apartment.

"On our way."

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Song belongs to Skeeter Davis.

Ok, just a small author's note. A friend of mine commented that it was a little rude of me not to personally reply to the reviews i've been getting. I know a lot of author's do but my problem is that i work full time. And when i'm not working i'm helping my sister plan a wedding and if i have any other free time, it's spent with my boyfriend. I try to write as much as i can at night when i come home from work and i try to get it up as quickly as i can. I don't have time to respond to all the reviews but i wanted everyone to know that i do appreciate the feedback. If you guys hadn't reviewed and let me know that you liked Paul and Abby, i probably wouldn't have even written this story. So if anyone is offended that i haven't personally replied to their reviews, i'm sorry. I'll try in future. Anyway, next chapter is almost done so it should be up soon!


	13. Forever

_All of my dreams seem to fall by the side _

_Like a discarded thought o'er the day's fading light_

_But I know that it I could just see you tonight_

_Forever_

_At times I may fall like we all tend to do_

_But I reached out and found that I'm running to you_

_You're strength is the power that carried me through_

_Forever_

The room that greeted me when I opened my eyes was only vaguely familiar and the little girl who sat with her back to me, singing along to Alice in Wonderland, was even less so. I pushed the thick blanket that covered me off my legs and stood, my legs unsteady beneath me. I caught myself before I could fall backwards and the little girl spun, while still sitting on the floor, to stare up at me. Claire. A quick glance around the room confirmed that it was Emily and Sam's house I was in. Their sitting room to be exact. I sank to the sofa again, my legs numb after my desperately needed sleep.

"Hi Abby!" Claire chirped. I attempted to smile at her but I was sure it came out as more of a grimace. It didn't seem to phase her though as she continued to watch me with wide, innocent eyes. As I looked down at her I couldn't help but wonder what part she played in all of this. Had they told her that werewolves and vampires were real, shattering her innocent view that monsters didn't exist outside of books and movies and cartoons?

"Abby, you're awake."

I turned slowly to greet Emily, not sure of what to say to her. Surely she knew the way I had reacted to Paul telling me the… I stumbled over the word truth. Was it the truth? Was I really willing to accept that the guy I had hoped would be in my future was a werewolf?

"Abby, you okay?" I pulled myself out of my thoughts to nod at Emily. She motioned for me to follow her into the kitchen and I complied silently, accepting Claire's small hand when she held it out for me. The little girl seemed to have some idea of my inner turmoil and she sat next to me at the table, across from Kim and Anaise, and held onto my hand while Emily doled out something that smelt delicious and made my stomach rumble loudly.

"Paul mentioned that you were hungry." Emily smiled at me as she sat two bowls of soup down in front of me and Claire.

"Aunt Emily, when is Quil getting back from work?"

Work. Two weeks ago the thought of Paul at work had made me snicker at the image of him dressed for a boring nine to five job. Now it conjured images of that huge silver wolf, howling at the moon and chasing after vampires. Immortal, indestructible vampires.

"Abby, are you sure you're okay? Do you want to lie down again?"

I tried to smile to reassure Emily that I was fine but once again I knew I hadn't succeeded. Her concerned eyes stayed on me as I ate my soup methodically, not really paying attention to what I was doing or how it tasted. My mind was reeling with the images I was creating, each one more awful and bloody than the next. What if Paul never made it back to me? What if something happened and he got hurt, never knowing how I felt about him? How did I feel about him?

I was making myself dizzy, thoughts running in circles in my head. I knew I loved Paul. The fact that I was still sitting here rather than going straight home proved that, right? The fact that I hadn't kicked him out of my apartment as soon as I woke up last night had to mean something.

I loved him. I knew I did. But was it enough to see past the fact that he sprouted fur and ran on all fours when he got pissed off or upset? What if he hurt someone? What if we had an argument and he lost control…. Would he hurt me? As I gazed at Emily's ruined face a thought occurred to me. Had Sam done that to her? Those angry red scars had been made from claws, there was no doubt. But were they wolf claws or bear claws, as Paul had said. I was itching to ask but I couldn't. I didn't want to know the truth.

My brain was tearing itself apart, one part telling me that it was too dangerous to stay involved with Paul and it wasn't even all his fault. I was a sulky, volatile person who got angry and upset easily. I never thought about what I was saying when I was angry, instead I just snapped angry, spiteful remarks at whoever I was fighting with. What if something I said pushed Paul over the edge? It would be as much my fault as his if I ended up with the scars down the side of my face, the way Emily had.

"What are you going to do about Paul?" It was Kim who caught my attention this time and I looked at the thin set of her lips and the narrow tilt to her eyes, I realised that she was pissed off at me for hurting him and the thought made me angry. Was I really such a bitch for needing a little time to get over news that big?

"I don't know yet." I retorted calmly. I refused to lose my temper in front of her and give her another reason to dislike me. Besides, what did it have to do with her?

"Well maybe you should make your mind up. Because you're killing him acting like a bitch." Kim told me. I narrowed my eyes and her and scowled.

"What the hell does it have to do with you? You think just because you're Jared's little girlfriend you get a say in my relationship with Paul? Some of us weren't so obsessed with our boyfriends that we accepted all their faults without question."

She flushed and scowled at me in response, opening her mouth to respond.

"Easy Kim." Emily warned her. "Abby's right. It's between her and Paul."

Emily smiled at me but I could see the strain behind it and I threw myself back into my chair and crossed my arms defensively. I didn't have to explain myself to them.

The three of us stared at each other for a few minutes, the tension in the room becoming steadily more stifling. The only one unaffected was Claire, who continued to hum softly to herself.

I liked Kim and Emily, I reminded myself suddenly. It wasn't their fault that I was so defensive, they were just defending their friend. And I was glad that Paul had such good friends. I opened my mouth to apologize but was cut off as the door slammed open. Emily was on her feet and in Sam's arms immediately. I watched, slightly enviously, as Sam's grip tightened on her, melding her body completely to his.

"What happened?" Kim asked Jared as he slid into the seat beside hers, pulling her towards him quickly and kissing her.

"Quil!" Even Claire was up, wrapping her arms around Quil's thick neck and giggling as he spun her around. It was then that I realised, with slight disgust, that Quil had imprinted with Claire. Who couldn't even be six. Just as I had been getting over the whole werewolf thing.

Anaise brushed past me, heading for Seth's waiting arms. That left me alone at the table, tapping my fingers and looking for the familiar warm, dark eyes. But they didn't come. I waited a few minutes before I couldn't take it anymore. I could feel the tears welling. Why had he bothered to bring me to Emily's if he was going to abandon me here? I glanced around the room, at the couples who were lost in each other's gazes and embraces and at Quil, who was leaning against the counter, holding Claire in one arm and describing something with his hands in the other. I didn't particularly want to interrupt any of them but if Paul wasn't coming back for me then I wanted to go home, right now.

"We got her." The door was thrown open once more and I winced, jumping slightly. Jacob came striding in, a wide grin on his face as the room broke into cheers. I raised an eyebrow at the empty seat beside me, wondering exactly who he had gotten.

"He got away but at least we got the vicious bitch." Embry supplied as he followed Jacob on into the living room. I watched as the rest of the group made their way towards them, obviously wanting to know more, but I stayed where I was. Quil looked from me to the living room to Claire, his face betraying the inner struggle.

"I'll watch her while you go hear whatever good news it is they're celebrating." I assured him. He still looked uncertain and I tutted and rolled my eyes. "I don't bite."

_Unlike some_ I added silently. He nodded and sat Claire carefully on the ground, leaning down and whispering something in her ear that I couldn't make out. I narrowed my eyes at his back as he hurried into the living room.

"Abby, will you read my book to me?" She asked me sweetly. I nodded and lifted her into the chair next to me, accepting the old battered copy of Harry Potter she handed me.

"I loved these books when I was little." I told her. "I have the whole collection in my apartment."

"Really?" Claire's eyes widened with happiness and I smiled. At least someone in this house liked me. Claire quickly flicked the book to the last chapter that had been read and I cleared my throat and began reading.

I had gotten through half the chapter when the kitchen door opened again but I didn't bother turning to see who it was. Claire's head was resting against my arm as she listened to me quietly, interrupting every so often to ask me what a word meant. It wasn't until I realised that no one had passed us yet did I look up. Paul was leaning against the counter, watching me with an unreadable expression. His hair hung around his face and he was wearing his usual uniform of cut off jeans and a white beater that clung to his chest, showing off the amazing muscles of his arms.

His eyes were dark and guarded and for a few minutes I thought he was mad at me. I couldn't blame him, of course, but the thought of him being mad at me scared me a little. What if he decided he hadn't imprinted on me after all?

It took me exactly two and a half minutes for me to realise that the reason his eyes were so hooded, so closed off was me. I had hurt him and he was protecting himself against me again and in that minute I hated myself for doing that. Paul's eyes were always so open and honest, always giving away his mood. Now they were unfathomable and it hurt me more than I could have imagined.

"Hi uncle Paul." Naturally it was Claire who broke the heavy silence between us. She had finally looked up, realising that I was no longer reading to her, and she was smiling happily at Paul.

"Hey Claire bear. Where's Quil?"

"In the other room." Claire told him. "Abby's reading Harry Potter to me."

"I see that. Mind if I listen too?"

"Of course not, silly." Claire giggled. Paul sat down facing me and I coughed, turning back to the book to avoid that impenetrable gaze. I read for another while until Quil returned to claim Claire.

"Time to go home to bed, sweetie." He told her, lifting her easily. She protested through her yawns, begging Quil to let her stay and listen to more Harry Potter.

"I'm sure Abby will read some more to you next time she's here, right?" He looked at me for confirmation and it only took me twelve seconds to realise that the entire kitchen was silent, waiting my answer. Everyone had followed Quil back into the kitchen and I could feel their expectant gazes on me, and I knew my answer would have nothing to do with a book. If I said yes then I had accepted Paul, and therefore the entire… group. If I said no… well, Kim looked like she might claw my eyes out. I had spoken before my mind was even made up.

"Of course I will sweetie." I smiled at her and she grinned up, ecstatic and with no idea that I had just committed my life to a werewolf. The thought wasn't as scary as I expected it to be. Before I could lift my eyes to Paul's I found myself being lifted out of my chair. I scrambled against him, wrapping my legs around his waist and locking my arms around his neck. His eyes were open again and I could read the happiness in them. I could quite pleasantly drown in it, I decided. Suddenly his lips were on mine, hot and comforting and sweet. I don't care that the entire room is watching us anymore. All I care about is the six-foot-something werewolf that was holding me so close to his body that I wasn't sure it was possible to separate us anymore.

"I'm sorry." I whispered against his lips, making them curve up in a smile.

"S'ok." He assured me, stroking his hands through my hair.

"Finally." Someone muttered from behind us. I blushed and Paul chuckled, pulling back a little when someone, I was guessing Sam, cleared his throat. He sat me down slowly, keeping my against his body with one arm. I leaned my head against his chest happily and closed my eyes, listening to the now tension free chat and laughter. Something big had happened tonight and I made a mental note to ask Paul about it later.

"Hey, you want to head to my place?" He asked me softly. "It's probably best if we stay in La Push for a while. You're still off work this week, right?"

I nodded and he smiled, sliding his hand down my arm and entwining our fingers together. He said goodbye to everyone and I caught Kim's eye as we left. She smiled widely at me, a friendly peace offering that I couldn't help but return as Paul pulled me out the door.

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The house Paul shared with Kim and Jared was actually a one floor bungalow type thing and the inside was a lot bigger than it looked from the outside. Paul led me straight down the dark hallway to a door at the end and when he pushed it open I realised it was his bedroom. It was tidy, surprisingly, and furnished comfortably. His bed took up the majority of the space and a small entertainment section took up the rest. He had a built in closet that was open and there was a balled up pile of clothes lying in the corner of it. He had shelved on the wall, filled with DVDs and books; there were even a few framed photographs placed around as well.

Paul moved to turn his radio on and the local rock station came on, playing a familiar song. It had been a week since I had listened to anything and I threw myself backwards onto the bed, closing my eyes and letting the music wash over me.

_Forever I'll find you_

_Forever we'll be_

_Forever your power and strength stays with me_

Paul lay beside me, curling an arm around my middle as he listened to me singing with a small grin on his face.

"I missed your voice." He confided softy.

"I missed you." I admitted. His smiled widened and his grip tightened, making me sigh happily. His hands were warm against the skin of my stomach as they slipped beneath my shirt.

"I thought you hated me this morning." He continued, his fingers lightly tracing a pattern on my stomach. "The way you looked at me… almost broke my heart."

"I don't think I can ever say sorry enough." I replied quietly as I rolled over and threw my arm around his waist, burying my face in his chest. "I don't think I realised exactly how much you meant to me until Claire mentioned that you were going to work. Then I realised exactly what you did and I was scared that you wouldn't be coming back and it all hit me. I love you."

His grip tightened until it was almost painful and I chuckled. It was such a relief to have Paul beside me, warm and real.

"You have no idea how much I needed to hear that."

"You have no idea how scared I was that I wouldn't get a chance to tell you. What happened tonight?"

He froze, his fingers stiff against my skin suddenly and I wondered if I had said the wrong thing.

"I don't want to scare you." He told me huskily. I shivered and shook my head.

"I want to know everything." I assured him. He let out a deep breath before opening his mouth to talk again.

"We've been tracking a pair of vampires for the past few weeks. That was why I needed you to come to La Push in the first place. When there's vampires on the loose, Emily's place is the safest place to be. We always leave at least two of the guys there to protect everyone inside. Anyway, they keep managing to slip past us but tonight we finally got one of them. The female." He sighed again, his breath fanning my hair slightly. I shivered at the thought of Paul being anywhere near a vampire and, thinking I was cold, he tightened his grip.

"But if you got her, then why do we need to stay in La Push for awhile?"

"Because if I read things correctly, then the male was her mate. And vampires take loosing their mates as badly as werewolves do. He'll be back for revenge and… look, a while ago there was a coven of vampires living in Forks. The Cullens. They drank animal blood rather than humans and our ancestors made a treaty with them. They couldn't cross onto our land and they couldn't hurt a human being or the treaty was broke and we started a war. Anyway, one of the vampires got involved with a human, Bella Swan." He spat her name out as if it tasted bad in his mouth and I raised an eyebrow. "One day a group of vampires were passing by and picked up the Cullen's scent; they went to investigate the Cullens and found out about Bella. One of the males tracked Bella and tried to kill her but Bella's bloodsucker found him and killed him. About half a year later, his mate shows up for revenge. You remember all those killings in Seattle a few years ago? The ones that suddenly stopped and were never solved? That was the mate. She made an army of newborn leeches to cover the fact that she was after Bella. We had to team up with the bloodsuckers to get rid of them all." I could hear the distaste in his voice and I chuckled. "But we did it. We got rid of them all and a year and half later the Cullens and Bella left town, to go somewhere to bite her and turned her into one of them."

"Oh my God. She wanted to be a vampire?" I gasped. The thought was ludicrous to me. To never grow old and watch while your friends and family died around you while you stayed frozen in your youth. It was horrific.

"Yep." Paul popped the 'p' on his word and grimaced. "Broke Jacob's damn heart."

"Jacob? What does Jacob have to do with it?"

Paul groaned. "That's a whole other depressing story. I'll tell you sometime that's not now."

I chuckled and nodded, pulling back slightly to look at his face. His eyes were closed and there was a tiny smile on his face. He looked peaceful and relaxed and happy and I felt my own emotions morphing to match his.

"So what does that have to do with me staying in La Push for awhile? I'm not saying I don't want to. I'm just a little confused."

He opened his eyes and I was struck by the fierce protectiveness in them. "It's just a precaution. We don't know where the male is but he'll be back. And I'd rather have you here, where there's always a member of the pack nearby, than in Port Angeles."

I nodded and ran my fingers through his hair slowly, watching as he smiled lazily again.

"Get some sleep, baby." He murmured, pulling me closer. I sighed and closed my eyes, listening to the soothing sound of his heartbeat. This was where I belonged, I decided. Right next to Paul, tucked in along his side and listening to his heart below my cheek and it was exactly where I intended to stay. Forever.

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The song belongs to Dropkick Murphys.

Let me know what you think please. This chapter was so difficult to write because i wasn't sure how to put Abby's change of heart across properly but i hope you enjoy it anyway.

Also, check out Momentarily Infinite's fic 'In a Manner of Speaking'. Its a fantastic Embry/OC fic so go read it.


	14. Everything

_Sorry this chapter took longer than usual. I had a hard time getitng it out. Hope you enjoy and as always, please let me know what you think! _

_Characters you recognise don't belong to me and neither does the song. It belongs to Lifehouse._

_Find me here, speak to me_

_I want to feel you, I need to hear you_

_You are the light, that's leading me_

_To the place were I feel peace_

_Again_

_You are the strength that keeps me walking_

_You are the hope that keeps me trusting_

_You are the light to my soul_

_You are my purpose_

_You're everything_

I woke up to the feeling of Abby's back pressed completely against the front of my body, her head resting on the arm I had curled around her neck last night and her eyes focused on the rain falling outside. Her small, white hand was stark against the deep copper of my arm as she traced patterns across my wrist and her hair tickled the skin of my chest as she shifted her head slightly.

"Hey." I whispered softly. She didn't turn to look at me but I could see the smile on her face as I looked down at her and I could feel my face shifting to reflect hers. She had shrugged her jeans off sometime during the night and her slim, pale legs were caught between mine, her cold feet pressed against my heated calf.

"Hey back." She replied, her voice scratchy and husky from sleep. She coughed softly before turning towards me and smiling widely. "Dude, you should see your hair."

I chuckled and reached a hand up to smooth the hair back. I hadn't bothered brushing it or anything since phasing back last night so I knew it looked awful. Still, nothing was dragging me out of this bed as long as I could help it, not with Abby lying against me, so soft and warm and real. She yawned, her body arching against me deliciously and I smiled at her knowing grin as my hand slid down to her bare hip.

I looked over her face as she lay there, eyes closed and a completely relaxed look on her face. Her skin was returning to its normal colour and as she suddenly gazed up at me I noticed that her eyes had their sparkle back. She no longer looked like a shadow of herself but she was still too thin and I swore to myself that I would make her eat three huge meals a day until she was back to the way she was.

"Can I go back to my apartment to get some clothes and stuff?" She asked softly, her breath fanning against my skin as she spoke. I smiled and tightened my grip around her, sliding one of my legs over both of hers so that she was completely cocooned in my arms. If there was any way to keep her like this then I would.

The music from the night before was still on and I could feel Abby's feet tapping against mine as she listened to it and her mouth moved soundlessly against the skin of my chest. I didn't recognise the song but I couldn't help my grin as Abby's tapping foot got more insistent.

"When do you want to head back?" I asked her softly. Her tapping stopped momentarily and I smiled as she peeked her head out to look at me, a frown on her face.

"Whenever suits you, I guess." She replied. "Soon, though. I need to have a shower and wash my hair and feel like a human being again."

I chuckled and stood with a stretch, reaching a hand down towards her and pulled her to her feet, trying to ignore the adorable pout on her face as she frowned at me.

"I didn't mean now." She muttered as she pulled her jeans on. I chuckled and wrapped an arm around her shoulder as we got ready to leave. I could hear Jared and Kim in the living room, talking over the sound of the TV. I held Abby's hand and led her in to the room to tell them where we were going, noticing the apprehensive look she gave Kim. I glanced at Kim to see her smiling softly at the two us, her eyes flickering from our faces to our entwined hands. I made a mental note to ask Abby what was going on later before I turned to Jared. Jared was sitting on the couch, his arm around Kim's shoulders. I used to make fun of him for his constant need to touch Kim and I felt stupid for it now because I was sure I was much worse. My week away from Abby had been complete and utter hell. Sure, I had seen for myself that she was alive but not being able to touch her, to make sure that there was nothing wrong with her was awful. I hadn't realised that imprinting came along with such an overwhelming need to be in constant contact with your imprint.

"Hey, we're driving into Port Angeles to pick up some of Abby's stuff. We'll be a few hours, you guys need anything?"

They both shook their heads and after saying goodbye, I led Abby out into the rain. She rushed to the car, climbing inside and slamming the door behind her before I had even opened the driver's side. The radio was on before I had even started the car and I smiled in amusement as she slipped her feet out of the shoes she wore and rested them on top of the dashboard, her toes moving to the beat of the song. I couldn't help but laugh as I realised her toe nails were painted a purple colour that sparkled when she moved them. She smiled at me and reached to take one of my hands in her own, her fingers stroking my skin as she sang. She stopped suddenly and turned to look at me, her eyes wary.

"What's wrong?"

"Can I ask you something?" At my nod she inhaled sharply. "It's been bugging me since last night but I don't want to offend you again…"

"Hey, you aren't going to offend me. Just tell me what's wrong." I assured her, tightening my grip on her hands.

"Okay. Don't be annoyed, okay? I have to ask or…"

"Spit it out already." I chuckled. She didn't crack a grin or laugh as I thought she would. Instead she became very interested in her jeans, her fingers picking at invisible pieces of lint.

"Did Quil imprint on Claire?" She finally asked. I looked at her, suddenly confused. Why had she been so nervous to ask me that?

"Uh, yeah. Why?"

"And no one is bothered by it?" She sounded shocked and slightly disgusted and I glanced at her quickly to see the horrified look on her face.

"Why would they be?" Was I missing something here? Hadn't I explained imprinting to her?

"Claire's parents don't care that some six foot something werewolf is _in love _with their six year old?"

"What? Abby, Quil isn't in love with Claire. Well, not technically anyway." I took a deep breath and shot her an amused and exasperated look that she didn't return. The smile slipped off my face as I thought of a way to properly explain it to her. "Quil doesn't love Claire in the same sense that I love you or that Jared loves Kim. When we imprint, the girl becomes the single most important thing in our lives and we strive to be whatever it is she needs at that minute in time. With Claire, she needs a big brother and that's what Quil is to her. He's a better big brother than a blood brother would be and when she's older he'll be the best friend she could imagine. He'll be her confident and her protector and if, only if, she chooses it he'll be her lover. It's not the horrible, seedy image you have in your head of Quil being in love with a kid. It's not like that at all. Abby, you mean so much more to me than you can imagine. There aren't words capable of explaining my feelings to you and the words that are available are trite and over used and not enough." I looked at her to see that mouth was open slightly, forming a silent 'o' in shock and her eyes were wide and innocent.

"Abby, you have to believe me. You are my everything now. From the minute I saw you in that bar you became my world. Nothing is more important than you, nothing matters as much. Every single thought I have is about you in some way and every dream I have is about you. I couldn't live without you if I tired. That's why I spent all of last week outside your window. If something had happened you because I wasn't there to stop it I would hate myself. I would throw myself off a cliff if I thought if would make you happy. If you ever decide that you don't want this… us… I could deal with that. As long as you let me stay in your life in one way or another. I have to be near you." I took a deep breath as I turned the car off. We had stopped in the middle of the road, a few minutes away from her apartment and we sat facing each other now, the music in the background the only sound apart from our breaths. I could hear Abby's heart racing beneath her chest and I cursed myself silently for being too intense and scaring her. Again. Her eyes were still wide as she gazed at me, an unreadable look on her face.

"I don't mean to scare you but you need to know." I told her softly, stroking my thumb against the soft skin of her hand. "You have to know what you mean to me."

"You didn't scare me." She whispered. "I'm just a little overwhelmed. I knew it was something… stronger than… than what I thought it was. I've known for a while but I could never have guessed that you felt so strongly… so intense." Her words were soft and as she spoke I felt my shoulders relax. "Paul I… I've never been in a relationship like this before. I always thought I loved Alex but I know it was more physical than anything else. And the boyfriends I've had since then barely register compared to this… compared to you. You make me feel things I never thought I would be capable of feeling." She stopped, her teeth biting into her soft bottom lip as she looked at me. I knew in that second that she loved me. Sure, she had told me last night but I could read the emotions in her eyes as easily as if I were looking into a mirror. She loved me and she accepted me in spite of my anger, my jealousy and possessiveness. She didn't care that I was so different from her friends, that I didn't play in a band or like a particular type of music. She didn't care that the only steady job I had was one I got to keep an eye on her or that I lived with my best friend and his girlfriend. She didn't care that I turned into a wolf at will. All she cared about was me. I had never felt so elated in my life; so free and easy to be myself. I started laughing in relief and happiness and sheer joy and after a few seconds she had joined in, her head thrown back as warm, husky chuckles spilled out of her parted lips.

"I love you." I whispered against her hair as I lifted her onto my lap.

"I love you back." She replied. I grinned and kissed her softly.

"Say it again."

"I love you, you big ball of silver fur." She teased gently. I chuckled again, sliding my hand up her neck and into her hair. Her lips parted immediately beneath mine and I lost myself in her; in her soft sighs and groans and the way her fingernails bit into my skin when I sucked her bottom lip between my teeth. She was so completely and utterly perfect beneath my hands that I hated to place her back into her seat and start the car again. She smiled at me, a lazy, knowing smirk that made me chuckle darkly as I drove.

"So what's the plan for the rest of the week then? Since you've kidnapped me and all."

I smiled and shrugged at her as I parked once more. The rain had stopped now and there was a weak sunlight as we climbed out of the car and headed inside.

"We can do whatever you want to." I told her as she unlocked her door.

"Oh really?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. I was wary when the smirk broke out suddenly on her face.

"Uh oh." I muttered as she pulled me inside. She chuckled and threw her jacket onto the chair.

"God it smells like someone died here." She muttered. "Will you crack a window? I need to have a shower. Can you start throwing clothes into my bag?"

I followed her down the hallway, kissing her softly before allowing her to head into the bathroom. Her room was exactly how we had left it yesterday morning and I sighed, rooting around under her bed for the bag.

I threw in everything I could think of, wanting to be prepared for every eventuality. By the time Abby was finished in the shower and standing in front of me in only a towel, the bag was overflowing and I was staring at it, trying to figure out where I had gone wrong.

"Wow. How long were you planning on keeping me for?" She asked in amusement. I glared at her before turning back to the bag. I could hear her soft rustling behind me and I knew she had unwrapped the towel from her pale body. My pulse quickened as my blood slowly stirred but I didn't turn around. If I looked at her I would be a goner and I needed to get us back to La Push as soon as I could.

After what seemed like eternity, she came around to stand beside me, clad in jeans and a thermal shirt, her feet bare and her hair wet against her neck and face. I smiled at her, brushing a stray hair out of her eyes and leaned down to kiss her.

"Never send a man to do a woman's job." She sighed as she pulled away. I chuckled and shrugged, watching as she quickly rearranged the case. Suddenly all the clothes fit, along with two thick books, her IPOD and dock, a toiletry bag she had brought out of the bathroom with her and a spare pair of Converse. After a quick glance around the room she nodded and pulled a hat down over her wet hair.

"Let's go."

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The trip back to La Push was quick and quiet, with Abby singing along to the radio while trailing her fingers up and down my forearms as she watched the trees blur past. I swung the car into the dirt path next to the bungalow and climbed out, easily lifting Abby's bag over one shoulder and wrapping my free arm around her shoulder.

I could make out voices from inside, loud laughter spilled out as I opened the front door and I smiled when I saw Claire standing in the hallway, holding her thick Harry Potter book and smiling widely as she caught sight of Abby.

"Hi Abby! Hi Paul." She greeted us, balancing on the balls of her feet. Quil had obviously told her to let us get inside the house before accosting Abby. I gave her five seconds before she turned on the charm and used it to enslave Abby as her story teller for years. That's how it had happened with Embry last year and Billy Black the year before that. No one could deny Claire anything and she knew it.

"Abby, will you please read another chapter of my book to me?" The eyes had widened and the lips had formed a polite, hopeful smile. Abby was powerless and nodded her head, allowing Claire to take her hand and lead her towards the kitchen.

"And another one bites the dust." Quil chuckled from behind me. I shook my head in amusement and headed towards my room, to dump Abby's bag. When I reached the kitchen, Abby and Claire had been joined by Emily and Claire's sister Hannah. Emily stood at the stove, making something in a pot as she watched Abby reading to her nieces. Hannah and Claire were listening intently as Abby spoke, her voice perfect for reading aloud. I sat in the seat next to her, reaching over and dropping a soft kiss on the skin below her ear and smiling when she shuddered. She shifted her position so that her back was against the back of the kitchen chair and her legs were lying across my lap. I slipped her shoes off and rubbed my thumb against the soles of her feet, smiling when her head dropped back slightly as she relaxed.

"I want to marry Ron when I grow up." Claire sighed happily when Abby had finished the chapter. Abby and I exchanged amused looks as Hannah shook her head.

"I want to marry Harry." She argued. "He's so much braver."

I ignored their argument and reached over to Abby, tucking a strand of her still damp hair behind her ear. She smiled at me, leaning her cheek against my burning palm and closing her eyes. It was as if no one else existed except for the two of us; there was no world beyond this room, beyond the feeling of her hand as it stroked through my hair. I wanted to stay like this forever, just the two of us lost in each other's eyes with the world kept outside.

"I love you." She mouthed at me with a smile. I grinned and moved closer to her, pushing her hair away from her ear and kissing the shell softly.

"I love you more."

_And how could I stay here with you_

_And not be moved by you_

_And you tell me, how could it be any better than this?_

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Team Space Heater, sometimes i pick the songs and write the chapter around them and other times i'm writting a chapter and a song will come into my head. I'm so glad you think they match the characters feelings because that's what i'm aiming for.

Aurora66 you'll have to keep reading to see if there'll be more drama!

Thanks to everyone who reviews the story. you're all amazing.


	15. Tattoo

_My love for you is true, a tattoo_

_And it ain't ever coming off_

I stirred the sauce in the pan, keeping a close eye on the spaghetti and the garlic bread while singing along to the radio. Paul, Jared and Kim sat at the table, talking intently amongst themselves and I ignored them as I cooked. I had been in La Push for three days but it felt like a lot longer. I had settled in, smoothing everything over with Kim and Jared and getting to know the rest of the pack better. I felt as if I fit in, which was something I wasn't entire used to but I welcomed it. It was nice to walk into a room and be greeted by everyone who was in there, as I discovered yesterday when Paul and I had dropped by Sam and Emily's. I was settling in and part of me didn't want to return to my actual life in Port Angeles. I was happy here, content with spending my day with the pack and then crawling into bed with Paul at night.

"Damn something smells good." Jared muttered as he strode into the kitchen and pulled open the fridge, grabbing a beer for him and Paul and a bottle of juice for Kim. I watched him with a raised eyebrow as he slammed the fridge shut again and smiled at me. "How much longer? My stomach is digesting itself here."

"Oh my God, you had three sandwiches an hour ago!" I retorted. He had been asking me how much longer dinner was going to be since I had started cooking forty minutes ago.

"That was two hours ago and I'm hungry again. I'm a growing boy."

"If you grow any more I'm going to give you to a circus as one of their side show freaks." I chuckled. He stuck his tongue out at me and turned towards the dining room table again.

"Paul, your woman is picking on me again."

"I'm no one's woman but my own." I called out in protest. I could hear them chuckling and smiled as I finished up. "And I'm not doing the washing up again."

"That depends on how good the food is, newbie." Jared replied. "Now hurry up."

"Paul, can't you smack him or something for me?" I asked in mock annoyance as I dished up the food. I carried Paul and Jared's plates out first, setting them in front of them with an exaggerated bow. Kim giggled as the two of them dug in and I rolled my eyes in disgust. It was astounding how much the two of them could put away in one go. I had been amazed at the super sized pots and pans until Kim had explained that the only way to make food in this house was to make a lot of it.

After grabbing my own plate and Kim's, I settled into my seat, next to Paul and began to eat. Dinner was silent, as usual, until Kim and I finished.

"So what are we going to watch tonight then?" She asked me after putting our plates in the sink. Paul was on his third helping and Jared was on his fourth; neither paying us any attention as we discussed DVD options. They would regret that later when I pulled out the chick flicks, I decided wickedly.

"Not another horror. I refuse to sit through that crap anymore." I groaned. The night before Jared and Paul had picked four horror films and made us watch them back to back. My dreams were filled with terribly fake, orange blood and shrill screams. I had woke up laughing, much to Paul's confusion and my own amusement.

"Maybe we could watch that new one with Brad Pitt." Kim suggested. "I heard it was really good."

"I could watch Brad Pitt." I agreed with a smirk in Paul's direction. He was using his garlic bread to mop up the sauce left on his plate and was paying no attention to what I was saying. I rolled my eyes with a grin at Kim and she chuckled before standing. Jared immediately looked up at her from his plate and I smiled. Watching the two of them over the past few days had made me realised exactly what was in store for me and Paul in a few years. Kim and Jared were two halves of one whole, I had realised. It was as if they could read each other's minds, their actions and subsequent reactions were mirrored in the other person and they communicated without words in some ways. I had seen Kim give Jared a single look that made him stop talking and rush to her side.

Sam and Emily had the same type of relationship, maybe even closer. I had seen Sam respond to Emily without her even looking at him. They moved around each other in a type of dance, knowing each other's movements as well as they knew their own. It was disconcerting to watch and I could only hope that Paul and I had a relationship like that in time. I wanted to be able to respond to Paul without him saying a word to me. I wanted to know what he meant with a single look.

I watched Jared nod as Kim headed out the door and I smiled again. How could I have been considering turning my back on love like that? The type of love I though only existed in fairytales and Disney movies.

"You okay?"

Paul's hand felt warm on the bare skin of my shoulder and I smiled at him. He returned the smile with one of his own; a soft, lazy smile that made my stomach flutter and my insides turn to liquid. He truly was beautiful, in a completely masculine way. His hair was messy and held up in a loose ponytail, stands escaping and brushing against his copper skin. His face was so expressive, giving away his mood with a single look. His lips were curved upwards as he watched me, a flash of white teeth against the dark skin. His neck sloped down into wide, muscular shoulders and even though he wore a shirt, I could picture the perfectly defined muscles of his chest and stomach. His arms were better than any male model's I had ever seen. I had a thing for arms; had ever since high school. Men had the most amazing arms, skin covering tightly coiled muscles and sinew. Paul's were exceptionally well toned, reminding me how easily he could lift me. How easily he could hurt me if he wanted to but I took comfort in the fact that he didn't want to and so he wouldn't. He was as close to perfect as one man could get and I rested my head against his chest in a response to his question.

His arms came around me immediately, holding me in place as we sat in silence. I could hear his heartbeat beneath his chest, strong and sure as he cradled me against him.

"You okay?" He repeated his question softly.

"I'm fine. Just thinking about the past few days." I told him truthfully. His grip tightened and his fingers began tracing a pattern against the hip of my skin that was both distracting and calming.

"Has it been too much?" He asked softly, an edge to his voice. I knew he was worried about overwhelming me again. I had seen it in his eyes, a fear that I would decide it was all too much and leave and I had tried to dispel it as much as possible.

"Yeah, but in a good way." I replied. "I really like it here." I pulled my head back to look into his eyes as I spoke, loosing myself in the darkness.

He beamed at me and I smiled, resting my head against his chest once more.

"Stop being sappy." Jared demanded as he watched us with an easy smile. I stuck my tongue out at him and he and Paul chuckled at me. "Come on, we may as well get the movie ready while Kim is in the shower."

"I'm not doing the dishes." I warned both of them as we walked down the small hallway to the living room. Paul and I claimed the seat that had become ours in the last few days, an oversized, dark green armchair. Paul tugged at my wrist until I lowered myself onto his lap, my legs hanging over the arm of the chair. His hand settled against my stomach while his other arm was wrapped around my shoulder, holding me close to him. I rested my head against his chest again, content to let his heat swirl around me.

Jared was busy fixing the DVD player when Kim returned but as I watched I knew that he knew she was back. His shoulders relaxed slightly, as if he had been holding his breath the entire time she had been gone. Which, admittedly, he probably had been. I smiled wryly at the thought and settled myself closer to Paul.

"I really don't see what you two see in this guy." Jared grumbled as Kim pretended to swoon over Brad Pitt. "Isn't he like ninety?"

"He's like a fine wine… gets better with age." I replied quickly. Paul poked me in the sides with his fingers and I stuck my tongue out at him. He grinned and shook his head.

"How could you possibly want him when you've got me?" He pouted. I chuckled and kissed him softly, ignoring Jared's gagging behind us.

"Brad Pitt's one of the unattainable." Kim spoke up. "It's alright to lust after him because you know nothing is going to happen."

"Hey, did I say you could lust after him?" Jared asked in mock outrage. Kim shot him an unimpressed look and he cowered slightly, sitting back in his seat. The movie was forgotten now as we teased each other.

"Did I ask for your permission?" She retorted.

"So who else is unattainable that you lust after then?" Jared asked, making Kim blush slightly. She looked towards me and I chuckled, holding up my fingers and counting as I spoke.

"Well, there's Johnny Depp, Josh Hartnett, Steven Strait of course, oh and Will Smith just gets better looking with age. And Slash from Guns N Roses, I've always had a huge crush on him."

Paul was looking at me in outrage and I giggled at his face.

"But it's okay, because I don't stand a chance with any of them." I assured him with a grin. "Don't you have a list of chicks you would sleep with if you could? Like famous chicks."

"No." Paul denied vehemently. I laughed and shrugged at him.

"Well you should. Everyone should have a list like that. It's healthy. Let's make one. What do you like in a woman?"

"I'm not having this conversation with you." He shook his head and pushed me off his lap. He stood quickly, towering over me and staring down. I raised an eyebrow at his sudden dark mood and took a step back.

"What's wrong with you?" I asked sharply. "It's just a little fun."

"Yeah, it's so much fun imagining you with someone else. My sides are just splitting from all the fun I'm having." He snapped. I narrowed my eyes at him and shook my head, storming past him and heading for his room. If I stayed there I would say something I regretted and that could be the thing that pushed him over the edge, which was the last thing I wanted. I had been warned, by Jacob and Sam yesterday, that Paul had a short fuse and that I should try not to piss him off. It had irritated me that they had so little faith in him and I told them so but instead of looking ashamed as I had expected, they had looked more resolved. But it wasn't in me to tiptoe around someone. If Paul wanted to fight then I would fight back, especially over something as ridiculously stupid as my celebrity crushes. I mean, really. I didn't see Jared jumping at Kim if she made the comments I made.

I slammed the bedroom door loudly, grabbing my IPOD off the window ledge and putting it on as loudly as possible. I lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling and ignoring the soft taps at the door as my mind raced.

Who did he think he was? I mean, what was with that reaction? Was he so much of a control freak that he needed to control my every thought and every action? Did he need to know every single thing I thought about every single second of the day? Couldn't he understand that a joke was a joke? He needed to get over himself, and quickly.

I sighed, knowing I was being unfair in my assessment but I was hurt and annoyed that he had embarrassed me in front of Kim and Jared, just as we were starting to relax around each other again.

"Abby." His voice was soft now, almost pleading, but I ignored it as I listened to Placebo, tapping my foot against the bed in time with the beat. I tried to concentrate on the music but I could still hear him, tapping his knuckles against the door every few minutes.

I heaved a sigh and threw my feet onto the ground, placing my IPOD in my pocket and striding towards the door. I opened it and stared up at him, my mouth twisted in a deliberate scowl. I wanted him to know how annoyed I was at his reaction and by his sheepish look, I knew he was well aware.

"I'm sorry." He murmured, stepping inside the room and closing the door behind him. I could hear the movie in the living room, along with the deep timbre of Jared's voice before the door shut and I sighed and turned back to the bed.

"Look, Paul, we need to get a few things straight. I'm a normal girl, okay? I grew up with crushes on a lot of celebrities and I joke about the crushes all the time so you can't react like that every time I bring it up. I'm a flirt, okay, and I'm always going to be a flirt so you need to get over that as well. You can't sulk every time I mention another guy because you will drive yourself, and me, insane. I was kidding, okay? Just kidding… and you almost had a fit!"

I took a deep breath and geared up to continue my rant but I was cut off by Paul lifting me, pressing my back against the wood of the door and kissing me softly. The soft, sweet kisses rapidly moved into long, slow, hot kisses that left me wondering why I was so mad in the first place as I threaded my fingers through Paul's hair and pulled him closer with my legs. He had me supported easily with one arm and his free hand was tracing the length of my jaw, his fingers warm and soft. I sighed into his mouth and he pulled away, looking into my eyes intensely. Wow he had pretty eyes.

"What was I saying?" I asked, shaking my head to clear the haze of lust that had settled over my eyes. "God you're good at that."

He chuckled and slid me down to the ground without moving back so that I felt every inch of him against me. He grinned down at me through heavy lids and I groaned.

"Not fair, dude." I ground out, pushing past him and flinging myself down on the bed again. He followed, stretching out gracefully beside me. His head rested on the palm of his hand and he stared down at me silently.

"I'm sorry, baby." He spoke softly, his husky voice playing on my nerve endings and making me shiver against him. His hand rested on my stomach, his fingers pushing my shirt up until it rested just below my bra. His fingers stroked along the koi fish that spread around my hip, tracing the outline over and over.

"What did you get this for?" He asked. My eyes had fluttered closed and I kept them shut as I answered.

"It symbolises strength and perseverance." I answered. "I got it after my dad got remarried, to remind myself that I was strong enough to handle everything."

He traced the outline once more before gently lifting me and turning me over. I folded my arms beneath my head and sighed as his fingers began tracing the flowers across my back. He pushed the top up as far as it would go, his finger tips caressing the skin that was revealed.

"What are the flowers for?"

"They're for every important event in my life, good or bad. The bright colours are for the good, the dark colours for the bad." I explained. "The black one is for when my mom died, the dark purple one is for my first break up with Alex, the blue one is for when my dad remarried. The pink one is for my first love, the yellow one is the same as my best friend Amy who moved away last year. The green one is for me joining the band, the orange one is for graduating high school. The swallows represent my freedom."

His fingers were replaced with his lips and I sighed happily as the ghosted across my skin, leaving heat in their wake.

"Do you have any tattoos?" I asked him, turning to look up at him again.

"Not yet but I could be convinced." He smirked. I felt my own lips curve upwards and reached up to tangle my hands in his hair again.

"What would you get?"

"What do you want me to get?"

"You could get a picture of my face on your ass cheek."

"Yeah, that would be something to show the guys, right?"

"Uh huh. I'll get one for you."

"Really?" He beamed at the idea and I smiled softly. He was so easy to please sometimes that it made me feel guilty for being so stubborn and hard headed.

"Really. We'll head to the tattoo shop in Seattle next week sometime and I'll get Jerry to draw me some designs."

"Awesome." He was like a kid on Christmas morning and I couldn't help but grin at his excitement. I pulled him towards me, wrapping a leg around his waist as he held himself over me with his arms. His grin was suddenly predatory and I shrieked as he attacked the skin of my neck with his teeth. He chuckled darkly against my skin and I shuddered before pulled his face to mine.

"I love you." I whispered. He smiled, his eyes bright and happy. "So no more being stupid over celebrity crushes."

He rolled his eyes and nodded. "I can't help that I'm possessive. It's the animal in me."

He deepened his voice and I began to giggle hysterically. He chuckled and began digging his fingers into my sides, tickling me.

I curled myself into a ball and tried to avoid his fingers, giggling loudly as he curled his arms around my waist and pulled me against his chest. I yawned suddenly, resting my head against his bicep and closing my eyes.

"Time for a nap, puppy." I breathed as he tightened his grip. He chuckled behind me, the last sound I heard before drifting off.

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The song belongs to Rancid. The characters you recognise belong to Stephanie Meyer.


	16. Dizzy

Okay, this chapter is a little shorter than usual but i had to get it up before we move on to the drama...

_You're cynical and beautiful, you always make a scene_

_You're monochrome delirious, you're nothing what you seem_

_I'm drowning in your vanity, your love is a disease_

_You're dirty and you're sweet_

_You know you're everything to me_

"Dude, your woman is cheating again!"

"Hey, how many times do I have to tell you, I'm not his woman. And playing the game the way it's supposed to be played is not cheating."

"You took the tutorial and I didn't… that's cheating."

"I told you to take the tutorial. Not my fault you're too hard headed to listen."

"I'm telling Kim."

"Yeah, well Kim will take my side and you know it. I'm telling Paul."

"Ha! Paul will totally take…"

"My side? Yeah, he will. Sucks to be you in a few minutes, buddy."

"Whatever cheater."

"Ooh, harsh words wolf boy. Paul!"

I let out the laughter I had been holding in throughout their conversation and felt myself pressed against the wall in the hallway as Abby glared down at me. Her plastic guitar was hanging around her neck by a strap as she tapped her feet and waited on my laughter to stop. Jared and Abby had been on a competitive streak since Wednesday, when Abby managed to beat Jared at poker. Now they were embroiled in a 'battle to the death' Guitar Hero match and Abby was, once again, winning.

"Paul, stop laughing and speak to him." She demanded, placing her hands on her denim clad hips. I bit my lip to stop more laughter spilling out, exchanging an exasperated look with Kim. The two of us had been forced to sit and watch this train wreck for the past two days, the only comfort being that there was only a certain amount of songs on Guitar Hero. But then Abby had opened her mouth and shown Jared how to download more songs and they were now battling it out to everything they could think of.

A knock on the door pulled me away from my thoughts just as Abby flounced back into the living room in a huff. Jacob opened the door slowly, taking in my relaxed position on the floor with a raised eyebrow before stepping inside fully, along with Quil, Embry, Seth and Anaise.

"They're still playing?" Quil asked in amazement as he peeked into the living room. "Wow."

"I know. It's getting beyond a joke. They didn't go to bed last night until after four and they were up again at ten. I'm this close to throwing the whole damn console out the window." Kim muttered as she passed us. I chuckled and shook my head, heading into the living room.

They both stood in front of the TV, Abby moving her entire body along as she played. Her lips moved as she sang along silently as she deftly moved her fingers over the buttons. Jared stood completely still, his fingers flying over the buttons quickly in an attempt to catch up to Abby's score. I shook my head and threw myself onto the couch along with Seth and Quil. Jacob sat on the floor at our feet as Embry settled himself onto the armchair. Anaise glanced at me nervously before sitting on Seth's lap and I rolled my eyes. I had never once lost my temper around the girl and she was still terrified of me. I wasn't sure if I should be insulted or impressed.

"Dude, who taught you how to play. You suck." Abby teased Jared as the song ended.

"Best of… whatever. We're replaying." He told her. "I will win."

"Sure, when I sprout fur and run on all fours." She retorted as she reset the song. I watched as she moved gracefully along. Her jeans were skin tight, with a rip at the back of the knee that gave me tantalizing little glances of pale flesh when she moved and her vest top was too tight and too small, leaving an abundance of skin on show. Her hair had been shoved up using a pen and tendrils were falling out all over the place as she moved her head to the music. She is absurdly beautiful as she stands on bare feet, her back to me as she concentrates on the screen in front of her.

"Dude this sucks." Jared groaned as Abby's score beat his once more. She held the guitar above her head in victory, twirling in a circle twice before stopping and sticking her tongue out at Jared.

"Hope you think twice before challenging me again." She told him with a grin. He smirked and shrugged.

"How about I challenge you to an eating contest?"

Abby laughed and shook her head. "I'm afraid I only accept challenges I know I can win."

"You didn't know you could win this." Jared argued and Abby shrugged.

"Didn't I?"

"I don't like you anymore." Jared grumbled. "I'm going to find Kim."

"Finally!" Kim called from the kitchen. Abby chuckled and looked towards the rest of us.

"Any of you guys want a game?"

Jacob and Quil leapt to their feet, accepting the two guitars from her and arguing over what song to play first. She smiled and shook her head, grinning at me as she walked towards me.

"I guess I've been neglecting you for the past few days huh?" She whispered as she folded herself into my lap. She leant her head against my shoulder, reaching her hand towards me and scratching the side of my neck slightly. My eyes fluttered and I let out a silent growl. It was something she had picked up on a few days ago, something that ensured she had my full attention. The feel of her nails against my skin had my mind racing with images and sounds; memories of her beneath me and above me, her skin flushed and her eyes closed as she…

"Hey, is that a gun in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?" She murmured, shifting slightly on my lap. I groaned and pushed her off me, standing quickly and grasping her hand in mine.

"Hey, we're going to order pizza in a few minutes, you guys want some?" Jared asked as we passed him and Kim. I nodded quickly, continuing to pull Abby towards my bedroom.

She giggled softly as I pressed her against the door, my hands tangling in her hair so that I could angle her for a kiss. She responded instantly and eagerly, her lips parting under mine.

"Keep it over the clothes." She murmured as I latched on to her throat. I shook my head vigorously; I had no intentions of letting her clothes get in my way.

"Paul," She chuckled breathlessly. "We can't leave the pizza man outside. Again."

I chuckled as I pulled back, staring down at her through heavy lids. She stared up with me, a naughty smirk on her face as she pulled me towards the bed.

"No way." I said, planting my feet before she could pull me down on top of her. "No teasing."

"But Paul…" She dragged my name out longer than necessary and I chuckled, throwing myself beside her. She turned so that she was lying on her side, sliding one of her legs between mine and lifting a hand to trace the skin of my chest with her fingernail. I sighed and closed my eyes, content to lie there and feel her.

"I hate that I have to go back to Port Angeles tomorrow." She murmured after ten minutes of silence in the room. I sighed and opened my eyes.

"You could stay here, with me and Kim and Jared." I told her hopefully. It was the same conversation we had been having since Tuesday. I didn't want to have to let her go. Having her here with me had been perfect; as if it was meant to be. It _was_ meant to be; she was my imprint, she should be with me. She didn't take kindly to that argument, telling me that it was selfish of me to expect her to give up her entire life for me and I knew she was right. But I couldn't help but want it. Kim had given up college and a life outside of La Push for Jared and Emily had given up her best friend and cousin for Sam. All I wanted Abby to do was move in with me.

I pulled away from her and crossed my arms, staring at the ceiling stonily as she sighed next to me.

"I'm not having this conversation again, Paul." She told me. "If you want it that much, why don't you move in with me?"

"I can't leave the res. unprotected." I reminded her. I could almost see her eye roll.

"Yeah, it's really unprotected with the other nine werewolves running around."

"We work as a pact." I told her. "It takes all ten of us."

"Fine. Whatever." She sighed again, a different sigh than her previous one. It was part annoyed and part exasperated and she had been sighing like that more times than I could count since Tuesday. I knew it bothered her that I was so insistent that she moved here rather than me moving to Port Angeles but what good would one werewolf be in Port Angeles against a group of vampires? I wanted her here, on the reservation where if I couldn't protect her, the rest of the pack could.

"Look, I'm sorry. I just don't want to go back to living together part time." I told her, turning and pulling her against my chest. She didn't say anything, just rested her head against my shoulder and fiddling with my belt loops.

"It's not like I'm moving to the other side of the country. I'm a half hour away." She finally replied. "I can't just pack up my entire life and move to a small reservation. What am I supposed to do for work? Commute? I don't have a car and you can't drive me everywhere. It'll be fine."

I didn't reply, not wanting to sound petulant and huffy when I told her it wouldn't be fine. A week of living with her made me desperate to spend the rest of my life in such close quarters with her.

"Besides, a week living together is not exactly enough for us to up and move in together. This could have been a honeymoon period and we could end up hating each other if we lived together."

"How many times do I have to explain to you that I'm never going to hate you? I can't physically hate you. And this wasn't a honeymoon period. If we lived together I would make sure that every day was like this. I would make sure that you were always happy. I would give you everything that I could possibly give you." I told her honestly. She smiled up at me; the shy, happy smile she often got on her face when I told her how much I loved her.

"Guys, pizza." Kim knocked on the door twice before I heard her padding down the hall again. I stood and pulled Abby up with me, wrapping my arm around her shoulders.

"Abby, I've come up with something else." Jared declared as soon as we reached the living room. I groaned as I pulled Abby onto my lap and grabbed a pizza box off the stack on the ground. She chuckled and took a slice out of the box before turning to Jared with a raised eyebrow.

"So, name your price."

"I challenge you to a Guns N Roses duel. Teams. Me and Paul versus you and Kim."

"We already had a battle to the death, what's different about this one?"

"Boys versus girls. Best of five wins. We'll pick two songs each and the guys can pick the fifth. Whoever looses… well, they can be the slave to the winners for two weeks."

"Make it a month and you're on." Abby grinned, looking at Kim with a knowing grin. Kim chuckled and shook her head.

"You two are worse than kids." Jacob muttered.

"You're just jealous that we're taking the guitars back." Abby retorted as she stood and dusted herself off. She finished her slice of pizza quickly and picked up the guitar from where it sat beside Seth. "Okay, Kim and I pick Sweet Child O' Mine and Patience."

"Paul and I pick Welcome to the Jungle and Paradise City." Jared replied. I snorted from my spot, still eating my pizza and ignoring Jared's impatient foot tapping. He could wait until I was fed.

"Alright then, best out of five wins a slave for a month." Abby went over the rules as she set the game up.

"This will be good." Quil commented, sliding into Kim's seat as she stood up.

"Ten bucks on the boys." Embry bet. I chuckled and shook my head. Even I wasn't stupid enough to bet on myself and Jared against Abby and Kim. Firstly, Abby rocked at this game while Jared sucked. Secondly, even if I was better than her, I loved watched Abby's face light up when she won and nothing could make me take that away from her. And I knew that Jared, no matter how competitive he was, would never be able to beat Kim at anything.

"Alright, Kim, you wanna go first?" Abby offered Kim the guitar but she shook her head and held her hands up.

"Nah, Abs, you know I can't play. I'll be your silent partner."

"Hey that's not fair. Paul and I both have to play." Jared protested quickly.

"So what?" Kim retorted. "It's your stupid bet."

"But Kim…"

"But Jared…" she mimicked, making the rest of us laugh. "I'm officially Abby's cheerleader. Woo Abby!"

I chuckled as Abby bowed deeply before twirling to the TV and starting the first song. I watched as she moved her body along as she played, shifting her hips and let her head roll from side to side while singing. She held a long note and spun on the spot, making Kim and Seth whoop out loud. She finished at the end and held the guitar up in victory, a huge smile on her face and I chuckled, reaching down to pick her up and kiss her softly. She smiled against my lips as Jared yelled with indignation.

"Fraternising with the enemy dude. Not cool."

"Oh shut up." Abby ordered as I saw her down. "You're turn."

She stood in front of me while Jared played, her fingers tapping against my wrist as if she was still playing the guitar. She sang along to Jared's song too, hitting every note and dancing slightly.

Three songs later and Abby and Kim were declared the winners. Kim cheered loudly, grabbing Abby's arms and spinning her around the small room. As I watched her I felt my sadness grow slightly, despite my smile. I didn't want her to go home tomorrow. I wanted to keep her here, with me, for as long as possible.

As she hugged me again, I tightened my grip; trying desperately to hold on to her as she inwardly prepared to leave.

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Song belongs to the Goo Goo Dolls


	17. Bad Moon Rising

_I see a bad moon rising_

_I see trouble on the way_

_I see earthquakes and lightening_

_I see a bad time today_

"Hey Mark, what's up?"

"Hey Abby. Nice to hear that you're back in the world of the living." Mark teased. I rolled my eyes with a smile as I put the last of the dishes away, holding my cell phone between my shoulder and cheek. I glanced out the window at the angry looking dark clouds. The rain was off but I doubted it would stay that was for long and I wanted to rush into town and grab a few things before it started. It had been after three when Emily dropped me off; Paul was too busy huffing at me for actually leaving La Push and I had been forced to ask Sam and Emily for a ride. I sighed inwardly at the thought and turned my attention back to Mark.

"Was there a reason you were calling or did you just feel like irritating me?" I asked with a wry smile as I struggled to pull my arms through my jacket.

"I was calling to see if you wanted to go get something to eat? Mexican, my treat."

"Ooh, you know I can't resist a good Mexican." I replied quickly. It wasn't often Mark offered to pay for dinner and I knew to accept immediately before he changed his mind. I had nothing edible in the apartment and since Paul was still pissed, I wasn't exactly expecting a visit from him any time soon.

"Sweet. I'll meet you in half hour?"

"I'll be there." I assured him before hanging up and rushing towards my bedroom. I dressed quickly, pulling a cardigan over my boy beater and then my leather jacket over my cardigan. I had forgotten how cold it could be when I wasn't surrounded by seriously hot werewolves and it had been a shock to my system to enter my cold apartment. The heat had been on since I arrived. I added a scarf to my outfit before slinging my bag over my shoulder and slipping my IPOD earphones into my ear and leaving the apartment.

The air was crisp and cold as I wandered down the street, the sound of Creedence Clearwater Revival reverberating in my head as I walked. I stepped further into the pavement as cars rushed by, splashing water left over by the side of the road from the torrential rain the day before. Smiling as I remembered yesterday's Guitar Hero Battle, I realised that my week in La Push felt like it had never happened. I felt like I had never left Port Angeles; my almost perfect week seemed like it had happened to someone else. I couldn't believe I was back, walking the streets of Port Angeles rather than spending my day in Emily's kitchen, listening to Sam and Paul bicker over what sport to watch on television.

I shivered and pulled my jacket closer to my body as the sky began to darken slowly. I was almost at the Mexican restaurant and I sped up as I felt the first few drops of water hit the side of my face, reaching the door just as the heavens opened. The rain pounded on the ground, huge droplets hitting the ground and then bouncing onto my jeans as I stood in the doorway for a second before entering.

"Abby." I smiled at Mark as I walked towards him, pulling my jacket off as the heat and smell of the restaurant swarmed around me.

"Hey you." I greeted him with a kiss to the cheek before sitting in the chair facing him, resting my arms on the table as I looked around. The restaurant was busy, filled with chatting couples and groups of friends that were laughing loudly. I turned back to see Mark looking at me with a knowing grin on his face.

"I see your week in the wilderness did you a world of good."

"It did, yes." I replied with a grin. "Nothing like spending a week in bed with a six foot something giant to bring a girl's spirits up."

He grimaced and I chuckled, picking up my menu and scanning it quickly. The waitress approached us and I rolled my eyes as she leant over Mark to pick up the extra knives and forks on the other side of the table, making a gagging motion at him as he looked down her shirt.

"Hi I'm Nicole and I'll be your waitress tonight." She flashed Mark a smile as she threw me a dirty look and I couldn't help the giggle that escaped as she fluttered her obviously fake lashes at him. She shot me a dirty look and I covered my mouth with my hand, watching her eyes flicker to my flaking black nail polish and then back at my face. She was obviously happy with what she saw because she gave me a smug smile before turning back to Mark again.

"Can I get you anything to drink?"

"We'll have two cokes and a pitcher of Sangria, thanks." I told her dismissively. This is why I hated coming for food with Mark. He was always getting hit on by waitresses and I was always left sitting there like an awkward third wheel. For all 'Nicole' knew, I could be Mark's wife and yet she still flirted shamelessly. I made a mental not never to bring Paul to this restaurant. I could tolerate her flirting with Mark but if she flirted with my Paul, I would be pissed.

Mark smiled at me as she left, a knowing look on his face. Oh yeah, he was getting laid tonight. I chuckled and shook my head again, leaning back in my chair.

"So, how's Paul?"

"He's kind of pissed at me." I sighed sullenly. Mark rolled his eyes and shook his head, taking a sip of the Coke that Nicole placed in front of him. I waited on her leaving the table again before speaking.

"He didn't want me to come back to Port Angeles. He wanted, no wants, me to move in with him, Jared and Kim." I poured myself a glass of Sangria as I spoke and took a sip of the cold, fruity cocktail.

"Damn." Mark whistled under his breath.

"I know, right? I mean, what was I supposed to do?"

"Do you want to move in with him?"

"Yes! No! I don't know. It's too soon." It was a concept I didn't fully understand yet myself. I knew for a fact that I would be spending the rest of my life with Paul and the thought pleased me but I still couldn't bring myself to agree to move in with him because it felt too serious. I would be loosing the last little bit of freedom I had and I was desperate to cling to that; to cling to something of my former live. Of course I couldn't explain all that to Mark without spilling the secret about the wolves and imprinting and everything else. So I settled for a long suffering sigh and a slight shrug of my shoulders.

"I do want to move in with him but I can't help but think that maybe this week was… a honeymoon period, you know? Who's to say that we would last if I moved in? He could hate the fact that I constantly need music on or the fact that I leave the lid off the toothpaste. Or I could hate the fact that he's never fully dressed when walking around the house. You know what I mean?"

Mark was chuckling silently as he listened to me and I narrowed my eyes at him.

"What?"

"I think you're being ridiculous. I'm not saying you should move in with him or anything but listen to yourself. Maybe you can't see it but I can. Paul makes you happier than I've ever seen you. You're practically blinding me because you're glowing so brightly. I don't think moving in with him would be a mistake and sure, you'd probably have a few problems but you'd get over it." He took a large gulp of Sangria as I stared at him. "You've never been this happy before, Abs. Paul is my favourite out of all your boyfriends and I'm counting Alex when he was my best friend in that. I really think you guys could make it."

I was silent as I contemplated his words. Maybe there was no real need to give up my entire life if I moved to La Push. It wasn't really that far from Port Angeles or Seattle, and Paul could be my personal chauffer. And Mark was right, if I could get over the fact that my boyfriend was a werewolf who was inexplicably drawn to me due to some sort of magical bond then I could get over the fact that he left the toilet seat up.

"Here you are." Nicole was back, her flirt grin in place as she sat Mark's plate in front of him and practically dumped my food on my place mat. I narrowed my eyes at her and felt a small jolt of satisfaction when her face paled. Mark rolled his eyes at me as she left and I should him a victorious smile.

"You scare away all the pretty ones." He groaned through a mouthful of food. I chuckle and shrugged.

"All the pretty ones are bad for your ego." I reminded him. "When are you going to settle down with a nice girl anyway? You could double with me and Paul."

Mark looked horrified at the thought and I laughed, despite the forkful of food I had just put in my mouth.

"God, don't even joke about that." He muttered. "Besides you're one to talk, miss perpetually single, friend with benefits." He raised an eyebrow at me and I flushed angrily.

"Shut up." I muttered under my breath, concentrating on my food now instead of the conversation. Being with Paul; feeling and seeing how much he cared about me made me ashamed of my past with Alex. It made me shudder with disgust at the thought of Alex touching me. Paul made me feel like I was the single most perfect person on the face of the earth and for him, I wanted to be. I wanted to be that pure, perfect girlfriend whose entire world revolved around her boyfriend and their love for each other but I wasn't sure I could be. I had done so many stupid things in my past, Alex being the stupidest.

"Piece of chocolate cake for desert for your thoughts?" Mark kicked me under the table lightly and I looked up at him in surprise. "Hey, don't sweat it kid. Paul can't stay mad at you. He'll get over the whole playing house thing soon."

I nodded and smiled, finishing my dinner quickly and waiting patiently on Mark to finish his.

"Hey, you okay getting home if I…" He motioned towards the waitress with his head and I rolled my eyes with a chuckle.

"Man whore." I teased as I pulled my jacket on. He flashed me a proud grin and kissed my cheek softly before heading towards the door marked STAFF. I headed outside into the cold air, shivering as the icy wind wrapped around me. It was almost dark now, the street lights coming on slowly as I headed towards the apartments. I hadn't picked up the things I needed, I thought regretfully, but I could get them tomorrow before work.

"Abby."

I whirled at the sound of my voice, my eyes scanning the deserted street for whoever had spoken. There was no sign of anyone or anything and I shuddered suddenly, feeling the heavy weight of someone's eyes watching me intently.

"Abby."

I spun in a circle, my heard beat rapidly increasing and beating out of control. I could feel the goose bumps that began popping up on my skin as fear settled over me like a thick, stuffy blanket I couldn't get out of.

"Who's there?" I asked softly, looking around again before speeding up.

"Abby…" The word sounded like it was carried on the wind; like a cold caress that made me stop suddenly and stand completely still. Suddenly Alex was in front of me, smiling softly.

"Hey Abs."

"Alex? What the hell, you scared the shit out of me!" I squealed, ignoring the warning in my head that reminded me that it wasn't Alex's voice saying my name.

"Sorry. Look, I need to talk to you about something. It's important. It's about Paul."

"I'm not interested Alex." I told him flatly, wrapping my arms around myself and heading down the street.

"Look, this isn't about me being dangerous, this is serious." He protested, easily keeping stride with me. "There's something not right about him and his friends and I met this guy who told me what it was. They're monsters, Abs. Real life monsters."

Oh God, he couldn't possibly know, could he? No, there was no way he knew about the werewolves. It was impossible. Still, I had to be sure, for their sake.

"Who told you that?" I tried to make my voice mocking and unserious but I knew it hadn't worked.

"I did." That was the voice, the one who had spoken my name. I spun on the spot and felt my throat close up in fear, despite the fact that I wanted to scream long and hard and loud. He was tall, at least as tall as Mark, and his skin was so deathly pale that I shivered. The eyes were the worst though, those vivid crimson eyes that told me more than I needed to know about him. He was a vampire, and he ate people. People like me and Alex and Mark and… I heard myself whimper as I tried to take a step back but before I could process it, he was right in front of me, his icy cold hands clasped around my biceps, squeezing just short of pain.

"Hello Alex."

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When I woke up again I was in a dark, silent room. I groaned and held a hand to my head, wincing as I came in contact with a large, tender spot of skin. He had hit me with something, something to knock me out. Oh God, Alex. What had he done to Alex?

"Alex?" I whispered his name as softly as I dared, praying that he was alive and here, with me.

"He's not here." The voice was worse than it had been outside. It contained more malice and in the darkness of the room, it seemed like he was surrounding me, coming from every side. "He upheld his end of the bargain and I let him go. You see, I'm a man of my word. Unlike those filthy dogs you have been spending time with. Honestly, if you had anything other than a meagre, pathetic human nose you would be disgusted by the smell of yourself."

I scowled but kept my mouth shut, not wanting to provoke the killer, especially since I didn't know which direction he would be coming in or how close he was to me.

As total and utter desperation weighed down on me, I felt tears fill my eyes. I tried to blink them back but it was useless and they began sliding down my face, leaving damp trails that cooled in the cold air. I silently prayed for Paul or Sam or Jared… any of the wolves would do really. All of them would be even better. I needed to see something that looked capable of killing the stone creature that was stalking around the black room.

"You know, your mangy dog killed my mate. Its why I went after you and not the other little whores who seem to surround the pack. It was your dog in particular. Did he tell you all about it? Did he explain to you in great detail how he ripped her from limb to limb and then burned her? Did he?" The last was spoken in a quiet roar and I screamed as he suddenly lunged at me, his eyes wide and terrifying. I held back a whimper as I forced my heart beat under control. He was trying to scare me, I reminded myself. I just had to be cool and calm until someone found me.

_Oh God, please Paul_ I silently prayed as the maniac before me laughed viciously at my desperate sobs. _Paul…_

_Don't go out tonight, _

_They're bound to take your life_

_There's a bad moon on the rise_

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_The song belongs to Creedence Clearwater Revival._

I told you there would be drama. I know the whole 'imprint captured by a vampire has been done before but ive never tried it and i felt like i should. Tell me if its completely unrealistic and you hate it, please.  
Also this chapter and the next few are slightly AU from Chances. Not so much AU but what happens was never mentioned in Chances but lets just pretend that it was.

As always, let me know whatyou think!

thanks


	18. Untitled

The floor beneath my feet creaked noisily as I paced angrily across Sam's kitchen. I could hear the rest of the pack in the living room, talking jovially above the crash of lightening from outside and my scowl deepened. I pulled my phone from my pocket with an annoyed sigh and dialled the familiar number quickly, growling angrily as it went straight to answer phone again.

"Okay, this is the twelfth message I've left and I'm beginning to get pissed off. Can you please call me so that I know you're okay? Thank you." I hung up and barely resisted tossing the phone across the room, to hear the satisfying crash it would make against the plaster wall.

"Still not answering?"

I spun around and growled loudly at Seth and his imprint, curling my lip back to show my teeth. Seth rolled his eyes but his girl shrieked softly and stepped behind him. His eyes narrowed as he wrapped an arm around her and I smirked. When I was pissed off I liked to antagonise the others into fighting with me. I needed to get the rage out of my system.

"Stop being an asshole Paul." Jared told me as Seth pulled his imprint out of the room with a final glare. "Isn't that what got you into this in the first place?"

I scowled at him before throwing myself down at the kitchen table. Jared followed, leaning his chair back on two legs and staring at me.

"She's ignoring my calls. Why would she be ignoring my calls?" I asked in a snarl.

"Because you were an asshole about her going home." Jared reminded me. "She's bound to be pissed off at you. Give her tonight to think things over and call in the morning, once she's calmed down."

"And if something happens to her between now and then?" I snarled in reply. Jared rolled his eyes but patted me supportively on the shoulder.

"She lives in Port Angeles, what could possible happen to her in twenty four hours?"

I glared at him, knowing he was right. Port Angeles was a town that was very rarely plagued with any sort of crime and Abby had told me that growing up in Seattle had left her equipped to take care of herself should the need arise but even still. Something was churning in my gut, telling me that something wasn't right. I needed to see her, or hear her voice… anything that could assure me she was alive and well and just pissed off at me. Pissed off I could handle. I wouldn't like it but I could live with it. But if something happened to her… if she was hurt because I had been disgustingly selfish I would never forgive myself.

A loud pounding on the door broke me out of my thoughts and I exchanged a wary look with Jared. Because of the storm, the pack was holed up here and everyone with sense would be holed up in their own houses so who on earth was banging the door that furiously? I watched Jared stride towards it and swing it open to reveal a soaking, out of breath Mark and behind him a teary eyed and equally wet Alex.

I was on my feet instantly, the wolf inside me reacting to the sight of Abby's friends with caution and fear. Something had to be wrong for Alex and Mark to be in La Push at the time of night. Something to do with Abby. I was across the room and had Alex hoisted against the wall by his neck before Sam had entered the room and I ignored his calm demands to let him go.

"Where is she?" I hissed. Alex blinked rapidly, his mouth opening and closing as he tried to gulp air in. He whimpered as he fell to the floor with a bang when Jared and Jacob pulled me away from him. I glared at them and struggled against the hands that held me but they didn't weaken.

"I'm sorry." Alex sobbed from the floor. Mark shook his head as he looked down on him in disgust.

"Tell them what you told me." He demanded and I turned to listen to Alex, still struggling. He had something to do with my gut feeling, I recognised, and if he had put Abby into danger I was going to kill him. Tear him apart and feed him to Kim's pet rabbit although even Rosie wouldn't eat filth like him.

"I'm sorry." Alex muttered again, wrapping his arms around his legs and rocking back and forth. I finally stilled and felt Jared and Jake loosen their grips while keeping their hands out in case they needed to restrain me again.

"Where is Abby?" Sam asked in a calm voice. He came to stand next to me, before nodding once to Quil. I watched Quil pick Alex up and deposit him, roughly, on a kitchen chair.

"He took her." Alex muttered. "He wasn't supposed to take her. He said he only wanted to talk to her, to convince her that you weren't right for her. This is all _your _fault." He yelled suddenly, his face flushed with rage as he glared at me. "He told me all about you… about all of you. You're freaks. Weirdoes who think they're some sort of wolves. And you're trying to drag Abby into you delusions. I had to stop it. I had to stop you." He screamed angrily and I felt Jacob clamp his hands around my biceps to stop me from diving at him. Who the hell was _he_ and how did he know about us? What did he know about us?

I managed to break loose of Jake's grip but froze halfway to Alex, sudden comprehension causing my blood to turn to ice.

"No." I whispered. "Tell me you didn't leave my imprint with a bloodsucking leech."

This time it took Quil, Jacob and Jared to restrain me as I fought to get to Alex. His scared expression did nothing but fuel my rage and as he shrank back into his seat, staring at my snarling face in horror, I fought harder to get loose.

"I didn't mean to." He sobbed suddenly. Damn his mood swings were playing on my last nerve. I could feel the nervous energy running just under my skin; could feel the wolf trying to break through. He had let a vampire take Abby. He had let the bloodsucker that escaped take my Abby. I wanted to feel him trembling beneath my hands as I slowly killed him.

"He… he came to me last week. Told me that you guys were… were… that you thought you were werewolves. He said you were dangerous, that you could hurt Abby if you lost your temper." He was simpering now, staring at the wall rather than looking at any of us. "He came to my apartment every day and convinced me to introduce him to Abby. He said he wanted to talk to her about you, to warn her what you could do. He said he watched you ripping his wife to pieces and then setting her on fire." The horror in his voice made me growl angrily. "I agreed to introduce them. He knew she would be going for food with Mark last night and we met her on the way home. Then he knocked me out and took her, I guess. I didn't know how to contact you so I went to Mark."

"Why would you hand over one of your best friends to a man you barely know?" Jared hissed at him. I felt his fingers flex suddenly and I broke free, grabbing Alex by the neck and slamming him against the wall again, ignoring the small cloud of plaster that fell around us.

"If there is so much as one scratch on her… I will kill you." I warned him. His eyes widened and he nodded. I could smell his fear as I dropped him onto the ground but I ignored the wolf side now. I needed to stay human, to stay focused, if I wanted to find Abby.

The pack was behind me when I turned, their expressions a mixture of support and anger. The strongest emotions were coming off those who had imprinted; Sam and Jared and Quil and Seth. I saw them glance behind them every so often, to make sure their own imprints were safe. I could practically taste their relief and as much as it sickened me, I understood it. I would be relieved if any of them had been taken instead of Abby but I should have known better. I had been the one who killed the leech bitch. I should have known there'd be some sort of retribution. Hell, I _had_ known something would happen but I hadn't been paying enough attention. It was as much my fault as Alex's, I realised. If I wasn't such a selfish asshole, I would have offered to drive her home yesterday and then I would have stayed with her. We could be tucked up in bed right now, watching the storm through her bedroom window. Instead, she was out there somewhere, with a bloodsucker who would only keep her alive for so long.

Suddenly, I could no longer keep the wolf in check. I felt Sam push at me shoulder, shoving me towards the door as he yelled at the girls to get into the other room. I hurried out, howling at the sky as my body shook off the confinements of being human and luxuriated in the wolf. I howled again and again, letting my grief and anger and hatred out in every noise. The rain and wind whipped against my fur but I paid it no heed as I looked towards the expanse of trees at the edge of Sam's garden. I headed for them, needing to be away from the pitying looks and the clearly audible conversation in the house.

Once shrouded by the trees I relaxed slightly, breathing in the scent of fresh air and wet grass. I felt rather than heard Jared when he changed and turned to stare at him as he stalked towards me, his head down.

_We're going to find her._

_We'd better._

_Alex has never been to the vampire's place so we're going to have to do a sweep of town. Forks and Port Angeles, maybe even Olympia or Seattle._

_I'm going to kill him._

_I know, man. No one is going to stand in your way. You think you can change back? We need to talk inside._

I took a deep breath and concentrated on pulling the human back into the dominant position. The rain on my bare skin felt soothing and I welcomed it as I walked towards the house, accepting the pants Sam threw at me from the doorway.

"We're going to split into twos. Jared and Paul. Jacob and Quil. Leah and Embry and Seth and I. Collin and Brady are going to stay here to protect the rez. We'll start in Forks and make our way from their, two teams west and two east." Sam's voice was calm and business like as I stood there, staring out the window. I was itching to get started, to look for the bastard that had my Abby.

"We're not looking for houses or anything like that," Jared spoke up. "It's going to be some sort of non permanent residence. They wouldn't have stayed in town so long if we hadn't antagonised them. Maybe an abandoned warehouse?"

There were nods of agreement from behind me.

"Stick to your partner and if you find anything you call us and we'll come to you. Paul, do not go in alone and get yourself killed. That's an order."

I turned and scowled at Sam but he continued to stare at me impassively.

"We will find her." He assured me. "And we'll get her back safe and sound. And then you can rip the son of a bitch to shreds."

A few minutes of silence later and Jared and I were on our way, on all fours, to the east side of Forks. I could hear the pack in my head, a swirling mass of noise and images that I tried to ignore as I ran. The ground was hard beneath my paws and I relished in the pain. It kept my mind clear and in control. I had to get to Abby before he hurt her.

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We ran for hours, sniffing out every abandoned building we could find. Forks had come up empty and we were almost finished Port Angeles. The sun had broken through the clouds and was now casting a weak beam onto us as Jared and I began shifting back. I needed to call Sam, to see where we could go to next. The desperation I had been clinging to was now beginning to feel like outright panic. My chest was beginning to close up and I was feeling claustrophobic amongst the trees behind Abby's apartment.

I could hear Jared and Sam's conversation clearly and I sank to my knees as I realised that no one could find any sign of her. I pictured her face, scared and streaked with tears as she tried not show her fear to her captor. She was so small, so delicate. How could she handle this?

With renowned vigour I grabbed the phone out of Jared's hand and held it against my ear.

"I'm going to Seattle." I growled at Sam. He was silent for a few seconds before agreeing.

"We'll meet you there."


	19. Building A Mystery

_I'm so amazed that you're all still reading and so happy! I'm sorry i was away for so long but life got in the way. I'm back now, though, and hopefully i won't be that long updating again. Anyway, thanks for all the amazing reviews for last chapter and here's the next one. Feel free to leave me more reviews!_

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_You woke up screaming aloud, a prayer from your secret God_

_To feed off our fears, and hold back your tears_

I stared at him as he sat in the corner, a perfect, pale statue, made seemingly of white marble. He had lit candles in the room, no doubt to scare me, and they had succeeded. Every shadow, every flickered movement on the wall had me whimpering and trying to bury myself in the disgusting pillows and blankets that were on the old, steel framed bed he had me chained too. I couldn't move more than a few feet in any direction, not that I wanted to. He seemed to be keeping his distance, sitting perfectly still in a high backed chair across from me and I really didn't want to encourage him to come closer.

"Are you afraid, little one?" His voice was soft, almost tender as he turned to look at me with those horrific red eyes. They were something straight out of a horror movie and I shuddered again as he suddenly stood and moved towards me with quick, graceful steps.

"Should I be?" I managed to bite out before silently scolding myself. I had sworn I wouldn't antagonise him. That might remind him that he had a free and easy meal in front of him and encouraging him to eat me wasn't high on my to do list.

"Of course you should be. You're little boyfriend should be here soon and when he arrives I am going to kill you. Not eat you, although I shall collect your blood to enjoy later. No, I am going to slowly peel the layers of skin and muscle and sinew from your bones in front of him. I am going to rip out your eyeballs and break off every finger and every toe…"

His voice was mesmerising as he spoke, a sadistic smile on his face as he described the torture methods he had planned for me and I began to shake violently. His words were a double edged sword; the intent behind them had me cowering in fear while the soft, gentle tone he used was soothing my frayed nerves; tricking my subconscious into trusting him.

"Then when I'm done with you I will kill him of course." He was saying.

"Who are you?" I asked desperately. He turned to me and smiled; a coldly cruel smile that made me want to cry with horror.

"My name is Marcus. My bonded one's name was Mathilda. She was a beauty, even amongst our race. A gentle soul…"

"You're kidding right? You suck people's blood, how could she have possibly been a gently soul?" I couldn't help the question and as his angry eyes swung towards me I regretted it instantly and shrank back against the cold wall.

"It's a simple matter of Darwinism." He spat in reply. "Humans are further up the food chain than cows and pigs and so they slaughter them for food. What we do is no different."

I gulped as he stared at my neck, his head tilted in an interesting way as he watched the pulse point beat rapidly against the skin. I could feel it pulsing beneath the thin layer and I begged it silently to stop. Stop drawing his attention to the fact that my blood was warm and pumping through veins that were easily torn apart by his teeth.

"He won't come. He's mad at me." I found myself saying. My desire to be rescued by Paul earlier had been replaced by sheer desperation that he wouldn't come. Because I couldn't be held responsible if something happened to him because of me. Because I had been stupid enough to walk home alone at night.

"Don't be so naïve, little girl, of course he'll come. He is bonded to you in the same way Mathilda and I were bonded. It's why it will hurt him so much to see you in the pain I am going to cause you."

He laughed now and I felt the sobs creeping up my throat again. I curled myself into a ball and faced the wall, staring at the peeling floral wall paper. I had no idea where we were and no idea how long we had been here. Marcus was content to switch his gaze between me and the window and never seemed to be impatient.

"You know, when I met your friend Alex and he told me of his fascination with you, I imagined you to be a great beauty. Of course, he was drunk but still."

I ignored the mocking tone of his voice as continued to stare blindly at the wall. I didn't want to look at him again, to remind myself that I was stuck in a tiny room with a monster. A real life, man eating monster. If I got out of this alive, I was going to start going to mass. I was going to try to make amends with my dad and try to get along with my step-monster. I would even try to make amends with Alex. Well, if Paul didn't kill him first.

Paul's face swam in front of my eyes and I sighed softly, imagining him with me. I could practically hear him growling in my ear, telling my he loved me and he was coming. I could almost feel his arms around my waist; his warm hand against my stomach. I took another shuddering breath and cursed myself when the hot tears slipped past my eye lids and slid down my cheeks. I bit my lip to stop the sobs escaping but I heard the chuckle from behind me and knew he had heard.

"Now, now, my dear. There's no need for tears. It'll all be over soon. No doubt the mutts will have realised that you're not in Forks or Port Angeles. Right now they'll be thinking of spreading the search party further. You're dog will be on his way to us right now. If you prefer, I can kill you before I begin to dissect you."

Suddenly I couldn't help myself and I hung over the side of the bed, retching loudly. My dinner was long digested and my stomach empty so by the time I had managed to pull myself back into the foetal position, my throat ached from the strain and my stomach clenched and unclenched in protest. Marcus watched me, a faintly disgusted look on his normally stoic face that I ignored as I breathed deeply.

"You're so weak." He murmured. I glanced at him before looking away, not wanting to catch those eyes. "So delicate, you humans. I don't know why the dogs would want any of you. What if they broke you?" His lips curved up in a sadistic grin when I cast a glance at him and I shivered again. "Of course, I suppose the Alpha almost broke his human pet."

"Guess his human pet was more durable that your undead one, huh?" I wanted to slap myself as soon as the words were out of my mouth and I cringed, waiting on the sting of his palm against my face. To my surprise he chuckled, a low sound in the back of his throat that made me shiver again.

"You have spirit. I'll give you that." He told me. "Now, I'm hungry. I'm going to find myself something to eat… before I'm forced to give up my plans and eat you before the mutts get here."

He stood quickly and gracefully, striding out the door before I could say another word. Suddenly alone, I looked around the room, hoping to find some sort of weakness in his plan; some flaw he had missed that I could use to my advantage. Nothing stood out as being helpful in my breakout plan. I sighed and leant back against the wall, banging my head lightly as tears began to slide down my face once more.

A sudden wave of despair rushed over me and I bit my lip to stop the screams from escaping. The longer I was here, the more I began realising that I began believing that I wasn't making it out of this one alive. Despite his constant threats and intricate detailing of my torture and then death, I had been mainly tuning Marcus out when he threatened me. Part of my brain clung to the belief that Paul would be coming for me, that he could get me out of this but as the sun set over the horizon for the second time since I've been here, that plan seemed farfetched and optimistic to the point of foolishness. Paul probably didn't even know I was missing. He probably thought I was still annoyed at him about the moving thing. I cursed myself for my stubborn, huffy nature. If I had agreed to move in with Paul, or even extend my stay for a few days, I wouldn't be in this mess right now.

A loud, hoarse scream broke the silence and I looked around in surprise for a few seconds before realising I had made the broken sound. The sheer horror of the past few days seemed to drop on me at once and I could barely breath with the crushing weight on my chest. Dry sobs wracked my body until I was forced to curl up into a ball and rock myself until I could breath easily once more. I didn't notice the time passing as I stared at the wall through tear filled eyes. How the hell had I gotten into this mess? And how the hell could I get myself out of it?

I pulled at the chains again, tugging until my hands were raw but they didn't give an inch. I tugged my wrist and gasped slightly as the handcuffs slid painful across the skin. Why hadn't I tried this before? I tugged again and again, ignoring the shooting pains that struck with every pull.

It took twenty minutes. I counted each agonising second and by the time I was done, my hands were swollen and bruised. But I was free. I shot up from the bed, stumbling on legs that had been out of use for almost two days. Supporting myself with the wall, I debated how long I would have before Marcus was back and realised I was gone. No more than a half hour I would say. With a determined sigh, I pushed open the door of the abandoned warehouse we were in and breathed in the fresh air. It was raining, a light misty drizzle that made me smile with happiness as I stepped quickly and carefully out. My legs protested at the sudden use as I stumbled over the ground, catching myself on the side of the building. I had to hurry, had to be far away from the building and the area as possible before Marcus got back.

Every step was agony as I walked down the empty road. The clouds were thick and heavy in the sky, blocking the bright moonlight and making the dusk darker than it should have been. A howl in the distance made me raise my head in hope but after a few seconds I realised it was only a coyote.

"Going somewhere?"

The scream was stifled by the cold white hand across my mouth as the vampire picked me up and threw me over his shoulder, turning in a circle and carrying me back the way we came.

He threw me onto the bed and chuckled at my tear stained face.

"I must say, I'm impressed little girl." He commented. "I didn't think you would get out of those chains. And to make it as far as you did? Well done. You didn't do yourself any good, of course, although your scent on the road might encourage your mutt to hurry up and then your death will come much quicker."

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The song is Building a Mystery by Sarah McLaughlan


	20. Just Like A Woman

The song belongs to Bob Dylan. please read and review. THANKS!

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"Paul, you need to relax. You're going to be no good if we do find Abby if you've exhausted yourself out by beating the crap out of a brick wall!"

I ignored Sam's calm, logical statement and continued to ram my fist into the hard, unforgiving brick. I ignored the throbbing pain in my hand and the hot blood that slid through my fingers and down the length of my bare arm.

"Paul!" Jared pulled me away from the wall and I struggled against him, trying to get back to it. The physical pain helped to lessen the emotional pain. It wasn't by much but it was enough to clear my head and help me think rationally.

We had been searching for hours, looking inside every abandoned building and shack for miles in either direction of Port Angeles and there was still absolutely no sign of Abby or the bloodsucker. I could feel the beginning of panic gripping my chest. If we didn't find them soon… I shook my head to clear it of the thought and turned to face Jared and Sam. They had made me stop and rest for a while, sending the others on ahead to see what they could find.

"Look, Paul, there aren't many other places they could be. We will find her and then we will rip the leech apart." Sam promised. "He won't kill her until we're there. He's a sadistic monster, and he wants you to suffer as much as possible. He'll be keeping her alive."

"Yeah but for how long?" I yelled. "How long until he decides he's waited long enough? You're making me stand here like a useless piece of crap while he could be hurting her! He could be torturing her!"

"Guys! We found something."

I whirled around to see Jacob jogging towards us, with Seth's wolf at his side. He stopped as he reached us and clasped me excitedly on the shoulder.

"Her scent and the leech's scent. Really strong. A few hours old at the most. They're heading into the warehouse district. I told the guys to wait there on us until we decided the best course of action."

Before I could take a step in the right direction, Jared and Sam had pulled my arms behind me and were holding me back. I growled and snapped at them but they ignored me as they began discussing 'strategy'. I growled again, louder, and struggled to get loose.

Abby was near. I needed to get to her.

"Paul you can't go charging in half cocked." Sam hissed. "You need to calm down and let us prepare."

I listened half heartedly to their rescue plan, knowing that when the time came all thoughts of planning would disappear from my head and I would be left on adrenaline and instinct. And that was good enough for me.

"Paul, are you listening?" Sam asked. I glared at him, suddenly sick of his calm demeanour and calm words. It was as if he didn't care if we found Abby or not.

The sensible part of my brain recognised that it was ridiculous to think Sam didn't care but the emotional side, the side that was currently ruling my thoughts, said that Sam was trying his damn hardest to keep me from rescuing Abby.

"Paul, he knows we're coming. He'll be able to smell us as soon as we get within a few miles of wherever they're hiding so we don't have the element of surprise. We need to work with what we've got."

"We've got eight wolves against one vampire. That's all we need." I retorted.

"No it's not. What are you going to do if he places Abby between one of the wolves and him? What if she accidentally gets hurt by one of us? Think about it Paul, we need to have a plan to get her out before we confront the leech."

I growled but stopped struggling, recognising the reason behind the argument.

"We'll send Leah in. She's the smallest and the one who looks like she could do the least harm. Hopefully he'll think she's the only one we've sent. If she can distract him long enough, maybe even draw him out of wherever they're hiding, then you can go in and get Abby and get her out. Don't worry, we'll leave the leech for you but I think it's best if you're the one that gets Abby… we don't want to scare her any more than necessary."

I nodded my agreement to the plan, still convinced that when the time came, instinct would take over.

"Let's go then."

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We ran for another half hour before stopping and shifting into wolf form. As soon as I sniffed, I could smell Abby. I could smell the weak scent of the perfume she wore, almost worn off, and the smell of her sweat and her fear. My legs almost buckled under me as the scent of her terror washed over my senses. My poor Abby was so scared. Sam brushed against my in a show of support and I followed him again, intent on finding the monster who had made her so afraid and tearing him apart.

The scent got stronger the closer we got to the warehouses. It was almost palpable when we came to a stop a few miles away, hiding ourselves behind various warehouses and the trucks that were parked around. I could smell Abby now. I could pinpoint the exact warehouse she was in and I had to bite back my growl as I paced angrily behind the trailer I was hiding behind. Sam was with me, no doubt to stop me from doing something ridiculously stupid and he shot me a warning look as I passed him. I glared at him as nastily as possible in my wolf form before sneaking a glance around the corner. Leah was at the door of the warehouse, growling loudly at it. I watched, breath held, as a pale face flashed past a window before the door creaked open and Leah stalked inside. The door remained open and I tensed, every muscle in my body reacting to the smell of my mate's fear. I could feel my lips curling back over my teeth and I could hear the low growl that escaped my throat despite my intentions to stay quiet.

Leah had suddenly reappeared and with her came the bloodsucker. Instead of following her to us, he leant against the door of the warehouse and flashed a grin in our general direction.

"I'm not stupid, dogs. I know the mortal's mate is here. I want him, only him. If he comes now and allows me to kill him, I'll leave her alone."

_Lies._ I hear Sam's growl in my head and I nod once in agreement. Not that I would refuse to give up my life for Abby but if I was going to die for it, she had better live.

"You killed my beloved, mutt. If you don't come forward, I will kill yours."

_Okay, plan B. Quil, your built most like Paul. You're going to try to lead him away from the door so that Paul can get Abby. Then we'll ambush him._

I watched Quil stalk towards the bloodsucker slowly, carefully trying to catch his attention. The leech smiled suddenly and moved away from the door, moving quickly towards Quil. As soon as the space between him and the door was wide enough I shot out from my hiding place, knocking him sideways towards Quil as I passed. I could hear the rest of the pack move forward, surrounding him, growling and howling as I shifted. Ignoring my nakedness, I looked inside the warehouse.

Abby was lying on the bed, her back to the door. Her clothes were ripped in places and her arms, held uncomfortably by iron shackles on the wall, were streaked with blood and dirt.

"Oh Abby." I muttered.

"You're not real." She muttered to herself. "Go away."

"Baby, it's me. Come on, look at me." I kept my voice soft, trying to hide the rage that was gathering inside me. I didn't want to scare her anymore than she already was.

"No," She whimpered. "You're not real."

I placed my hand on the shackles and snapped them from the wall and she finally turned around. Her face was streaked with black lines and her eyes were red and swollen. She had one huge purple bruise along one cheek and there was dried blood at the corner of her mouth. Her hair was matted against her head and neck and I cursed softly.

"Paul?" She whispered. I nodded, falling to one knee and running a finger down her jaw.

"I'm here baby. We're going to get you out of here. It's all going to be okay. I promise."

She began crying again, curling herself against my chest and clutching at my skin. I lifted her easily, snapping the cuffs that held her hands and dropping them onto the ground. When I got outside, the pack was still circling the leech, keeping him imprisoned but waiting on me to attack.

"Baby, Seth's going to get you out of here, okay? You're going to ride on his back and whatever you do, don't look back."

"No, stay." She muttered, her grip tightening.

"I can't honey. I'm going to kill the bloodsucker who hurt you. I won't be long, I promise."

I turned and watched Seth break away from the circle, Quil and Jacob moving closer to fill the space left. I placed Abby on his back, my heart breaking as she sobbed, begging me to stay with her.

"I love you." I whispered against her hair. My nose stung with the icy sweet smell of vampire but I pushed the discomfort away as I strode towards the circle, phasing as I did so.

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The kill left me feeling cold and unsatisfied. There was no messing around; no time or energy to be wasted on playing with the bloodsucker first. I wanted to hurt him the way he hurt Abby. Every time her bloody wrist or her tear streaked face flashed in front of my eyes, I felt the rage build and I wanted to strike out and make him _hurt_. I wanted him to feel every blow, every single rip and tear as we pulled him apart. He wanted to die, I realised now as we walked home. He had lost his 'beloved' and he no longer wanted to live in a world without her. But instead of killing himself or having another bloodsucker do it, he wanted to hurt me first. I could still hear him telling me what he had done to her… how he had tormented her with thoughts of him killing me, or her. He knew he was outnumbered and had little chance of survival but as he explained to me, he didn't care.

"I've damaged your mate so much that she may never recover. I've hurt you as you've hurt me." He had laughed as he said it and I had lost control, tearing his head from his neck and throwing it away from me.

We had left Leah, Quil, Embry and Jacob with the pieces. They're were taking them somewhere remote and burning them. Jared, Sam and I were heading back to La Push, back to Abby and home. I parted from Jared and Sam at the crossroad. They were heading to Sam's to let Emily and Kim know what had happened and I was going home, to where Seth had taken Abby.

He was sitting on the porch when I approached and he stood to face me.

"She fell asleep when we got here; she's in your room." I nodded my thanks and he smiled bleakly. "Good luck, man."

I watched him jog away before shifting back to my human form and going inside. I slipped into a pair of cut offs and headed towards my bedroom. I stood in the doorway and watched Abby as she slept, tossing and turning and muttering unintelligible words under her breath. There were tears running down her face again as she slept and I felt my heart break further as she began whimpering softly, as if she were in pain. I eased my body down beside her and slid an arm around her small waist. She was freezing, despite the clothes she wore and as I pulled her against my chest, I rubbed my hands up and down her back to heat her up. She started awake suddenly and screamed.

"No, no…"

"Shh, it's only me." I murmured. I slid my fingers into her hair as she struggled to sit up and look at me.

"Paul?" Her voice was hoarse and huskier than usual. I ran my fingers over her face and down her neck, reassuring myself that she was alive and well in my bed.

"It's me." I assured her. "It's okay."

"Is he dead?"

"Yes."

She nodded against me, slowly, before pulling back. "Do you mind if I have a shower?"

I stood and took her hand, leading her into the bathroom down the hall and holding her against my chest as I reached around to turn the water on.

"I'll get you some clothes." I whispered as she began undressing. I rushed into my room and picked up an old, oversized shirt that would do until morning. When I returned to the bathroom, she was in the shower and the white shower curtain was pulled around it. All I could make out was her silhouette as she washed her hair. I could hear the sniffles that she was trying to hold back and I could smell her fear again. My senses as a human weren't as good as they were when I was a wolf but they were strong enough for me to know that she was still as terrified as she had been earlier tonight. I watched her shadow as she held her arm against the wall, supporting her weight. She was trying so much to be strong and I hated the fact that she needed to. I stood, ready to open the curtain and give her the support that she needed. As I reached for the curtain, she gave up the pretence and began sobbing loudly. I opened the curtain in time to see her slid to the floor of the shower and curl herself into a ball as she cried.

I had never felt as helpless as I did when I watched her finally break down.

_She takes just like a woman, yes she does_

_She makes love just like a woman, yes she does_

_And she aches, just like a woman_

_But she breaks just like a little girl_


	21. Rain

I have been trying to add this for the past 3 days! Wouldn't upload properly so i apologise for the wait. Please read and review. The song belongs to Patty Griffin

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_Its hard to listen to a hard hard heart  
Beating close to mine  
Pounding up against the stone and steel  
Walls that i won't climb  
_

I lay curled up on the bed, my arms wrapped around a pillow that smelt like Paul as I stared out the window at the rain that was pounding against the glass. It had been three days since Paul and the pack had rescued me from Marcus and I had yet to relax again. Every noise, every flicker of a movement on the wall brought the terror crashing back around me. I knew that I was safe but I couldn't accept it; couldn't believe that the monster was really gone, that I was really alive and unhurt and okay. It seemed unfathomable to me. I had been so convinced that I wasn't making it out alive that sometimes when I was alone, I wondered if I was actually dead and this was my purgatory; a place filled with love and comfort that I couldn't touch because I had sinned too much in life. I knew it was a ridiculous notion because I had touched Paul; I had felt his warm skin against mine every night. I had felt the strength in his arms as he held me against his chest, not once pushing me to talk. But even Paul's strength wasn't enough to convince me that this was real… that _he_ was real.

The door to his bedroom opened but I didn't look up. It would be Paul again to check on me. The bed creaked as someone sat down behind me and still I didn't turn my eyes away from the rain. The steady beat of the raindrops comforted me, beating in rhythm with my heart and reminding me that I was, indeed, alive and still stuck in a place where it rained ninety eight percent of the time. It had been raining since the night they had come for me, a constant stream of pure, cleansing water. I wondered if I went out and stood under the rain for a while would it cleanse me? Would I loose this sense of hopeless anxiety? Would I be able to turn to my boyfriend, wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him and reassure him that I was okay? It was doubtful since the rain wasn't a miracle worker but the thought entertained me for a while.

I wanted nothing more than anything to talk to Paul, to let him know that somewhere, deep down, in this zombie like creature I had become, his Abby was still there. She was just recovering for awhile. But I couldn't. Every time I opened my mouth to talk about what happened, I clenched up and my entire body shut down. He was so patient and so good and comforting that I hated myself every time I saw the flash of hurt in his eyes when I turned away but I couldn't stop myself.

"Hey."

It wasn't Paul. It was the female werewolf, the one who had come into the warehouse and led Marcus outside. I didn't reply to her, didn't turn my head towards her or acknowledge her presence in any way. I had heard that Leah had a temper to match Paul and that she was as impatient as hell. Kim had confided in me that she had a huge problem with Emily and Sam and that she was like a harpy towards the rest of the pack. I expected my lack of reply to send her from the room with a sigh and an exasperated 'I tried'. Instead she sat behind me, silent and still as I stared out the window.

We sat there for more than an hour, both of staring at the rain. I took comfort in her silent companionship. When Kim and Emily had come to talk to me, they had assured me over and over again that I was safe, that Marcus was dead and not coming back to hurt me. Their incessant chatter had done little to ease my mind since it sounded like all they were doing was talking to fill the silence.

Eventually Leah moved and walked gracefully towards the window, taking a seat on the wide ledge and tucking her feet under her as she watched the rain. She was really pretty, I noticed. Huge brown eyes were framed by lashes so long that they brushed her cheek every time she blinked. Her hair was cut short, to just above her chin but she suited it with her high cheekbones and thin, straight nose. Her lips were full and curved into a perfect cupid's bow and her cinnamon coloured skin was so flawless that for a moment I stepped out of my daze and felt envy.

"I'm not going to tell you not to be afraid anymore because it would be a waste of words and time." She broke the silence and pulled me from my thoughts. "Marcus might be dead but there are other vampires out there who are just as terrifying, if not more so, than he was. I know Kim and Emily came in yesterday and I'm sure that they tried to help in their own way by telling you that it's okay, that your safe with the pack, in La Push. But that's bull. You're safer here than at home but its not the safe haven they're painting it out to be."

Her voice was quiet and calm as she spoke, her eyes never once leaving the window.

"Neither of them have ever seen a vampire. Not even the Cullens. They only have the pack's description of them and the only words used are leech and bloodsucker and parasite. That description doesn't really prepare you for the reality does it? You wonder to yourself how something that looks so beautiful can possibly be dangerous. And those eyes…" I gave a shudder at the thought of Marcus' bright crimson eyes, so hungry and calculating as he looked at me. "Nothing can prepare you for those eyes."

She turned to me then, a soft, understanding look in her eyes.

"I don't know what he told you or how he treated you. Paul didn't send me in to comfort you or shake you out of your stupor or anything. I don't have an agenda here, okay. But just listen to me."

I nodded once, tearing my eyes away from hers and burying my nose in Paul's pillow once more.

"That vampire…"

"Marcus."

"Right. Marcus then. We killed his… mate, I guess. Their bond was the same as an imprinting bond, I guess. So we killed her, or more specifically, Paul killed her. Marcus knew that he didn't stand a chance against such a big group of werewolves, especially a group like ours who can hear thoughts and are so… prepared. But he kidnapped you anyway because he wanted Paul to hurt. He wanted Paul to feel what he felt when we took his mate so he took Paul's. He took you."

I knew all this but I didn't want to interrupt her when she seemed to be struggling for words.

"He was suicidal. There aren't a lot of ways to kill a vampire but it's pretty much what we're bred for and he knew that. So he wanted us to kill him and he used you as a way to lure us to him. And since he's a sadistic monster, he used you to play with Paul before we could get to him."

She fell silent again and I continued to stare into the thick white pillow rather than looking at her. I knew she was right. In fact, I already knew everything she had said but to hear someone saying it aloud made it worse somehow.

"Look, Abby. I know we're not exactly friends and I don't doubt for even a second that both Kim and Emily told you to give me a wide berth but if there's one thing I noticed when we met it was that you were strong. You were strong and independent and didn't put up with Paul's shit. It seemed to me like you could handle anything and I respected that because it's how I used to be. Don't let the monster take that attitude, that spark away from you. Don't lay down and play dead when you've got your entire life ahead of you and a guy who would lay down and kiss the ground simply because you had walked on it. Don't let him win."

She stood up suddenly and smiled at me, a slightly self conscious smile that made me want to ask what happened to her to make her into the ice queen that the pack thought she was.

As she walked out of the room, I lifted my head of the pillow to watch the rain again. As I watched the drops beat down on the outside ledge of the window, my heart rate slowed back to normal again.

Leah was right; I wasn't the type of person to see myself as a 'victim' so why was I acting like one? I knew I shouldn't let Marcus dictate how I live the rest of my life. I was alive and he was dead and that was really all that mattered. Sure, there would be other dangers but with Paul watching over me, I would be safe. In fact, with Paul by my side, I would be able to handle anything.

The door of the bedroom opened again and Paul's familiar scent rushed over me, soothing my nerves and making me relax completely into the bed.

"I'm sorry, baby. I didn't mean to let Leah come in and bother you." He murmured as he lay behind me, carefully wrapping a hand around my waist and waiting to see if I pulled away before relaxing against me. Softly and slowly, he stroked a hand through my hair, his fingers as lights as feathers against my scalp.

He was treating me as if I was glass, ready to shatter at any minute and for some reason that irritated me. I wasn't going to break… not again.

"Leah helped." I told him quietly. It was the first thing I had said to him in days and I felt him tense beside me.

"Oh."

We were silent again, his hands soft and steady in my hair. I untangled them, seeing the flash of hurt in his eyes and hating myself as I turned completely to face him. He stared down at me, his dark eyes worried and caring.

He was so beautiful, so unlike the cold monster who had tortured me. He was so warm and real and safe. He smelt of the forest and a deep musky scent that was all his own. It was the most enticing scent I had ever smelt and I knew he didn't even try. I buried my nose in the skin stretched between his shoulder and his neck and I kissed him softly, listening for the intake of breath.

His hands slowly came around me, resting on my back and on my hip as I moved my lips towards his ear.

"I love you." I whispered softly. He relaxed fully against me, the weight of him reassuring as we lay there. He tightened his grip on me and buried his face in my neck, whispering soft, wordless sounds in my ear as he held me. I realised then that he needed this as much as I did. He needed to be reassured that I was okay as well.

"I won't let anything hurt you ever again." He promised, sliding his hands slowly up my legs. I smiled and nodded.

"I know you won't. I trust you."

"Good." He whispered with a dazzling smile. "Good."

"How about you kiss me?"

"Yes m'am." His lips were careful at first, moving slowly against mine and giving me plenty of time to pull back if I wanted to. I slid my fingers into his hair with a sigh and he responded quickly, slipping his hands behind me and lifting me against him.

"Are you sure about this?" He gasped into my ear as I dragged my finger nails down his back.

"Damn sure." I replied, biting his bottom lip and smiling as he growled.

His hands were slow and careful as he undressed me and I smiled at his patience.

"I love you." He whispered as I wrapped my legs around his hips. "So much. You're the most important thing in my world."

"I know." I assured him as much as myself. "And I'm going to be okay."

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Hours later we lay curled up against one another, still naked and uncovered by blankets. Paul's warm hand was resting on my stomach, his fingers tracing odd shapes against the skin there as he hummed an old Quiluete song in my ear. I was completely relaxed against him, my head resting on the burning skin of his chest, stroking his stomach lightly and enjoying the play of his muscles beneath my hand.

"So Leah helped, huh?"

Paul's voice was quiet and calm but I could hear the hurt beneath the façade and I tightened my grip on his stomach.

"She just made some things clear… things you wouldn't have said to me." I told him. "And I think I needed to hear it from someone else, you know?"

"I'm sorry I wasn't more help." He was completely sincere and I felt my heart break a little at his guilty expression.

"Paul… you have no idea how much help you've been. Just knowing that you were there for me is the only things that's gotten me through these past few days."

He nodded and pulled me closer to him; so close that every inch of my skin was brushing his. I closed my eyes with a sigh and felt myself relax into his embrace.

"I love you."

"Love you too."


	22. Love Song

Sorry for the wait, i've been working like crazy recently. The song belongs to The Cure.

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The consequences of Abby's kidnapping were both surprising and expected. It had been just over four weeks and she was almost back to normal. Of course, as expected, she was still jumpy at night and there were times I had to wake her out of a nightmare that left her with tears streaming down her face and that wild, scared look in her eyes. She also, as Emily and Kim predicted, agreed to move in with me. We had shifted all her things from her apartment into the house a few days ago and life had been perfect since then.

One of the most surprising results was her sudden friendship with Leah. Leah had, for as long as she'd been in the pack, never had many female friends. Actually, I couldn't name a single female friend of Leah's. Kim was well and truly on the 'imprinting' side of the fence and so, in loyalty to Sam and Emily, she rarely spoke to Leah. Abby was completely different. She had spent an hour berating me about the whole thing on Leah's behalf and by the end of her rant I was almost beginning to feel sorry for our resident harpy. The two of them had spent so much time together that I was starting to feel jealous of their closeness although I recognised the fact that Abby needed a friend right now and not just her boyfriend so I kept my mouth shut.

Tonight was the first night Abby was going back to work; to sing. The entire pack, minus the younger wolves, was heading to the bar to see her play and I knew that while she was nervous about singing in front of us all, she was also glad of the protection it afforded her.

I wasn't sure about showing up at the bar tonight. I knew that the minute I set eyes on Alex I would want to kill him. He had been long gone from Emily's when the pack returned the night of the rescue and he hadn't been seen or heard from since then although Mark assured us that, unfortunately, he was still standing. I didn't want Abby to have to see him, knowing the part he played in her capture and I didn't care how guilty he felt, it would never be good enough; it would never make up for the fact that she had spent days in an abandoned warehouse, thinking that she was going to watch me die and then be killed herself. And I knew she felt the betrayal much deeper than she let on. She tried to joke it off every time it came up in conversation, saying she wouldn't have expected anything more from Alex but I knew it hurt her and that made me angry. Really angry. Every time I thought of Alex and what he had done I could feel my control beginning to slip and that wasn't good. Since I had met Abby I hadn't slipped up very often with me control and when I did it was usually because she was hurt or scared and I felt the need to protect her.

"You ready to go?"

Abby had finished straightening her hair in the bathroom and was now standing before me, fully dressed and with a small smile on her face.

"Sure." I told her. "I can't believe you're making me go back to Joe's after the asshole fired me."

Her laugh made me smile as I followed her towards the car.

"You didn't show up for a week straight, what was he supposed to do?"

"Um, keep me on?"

"Wishful thinking buddy, the real world doesn't work like that."

"Well, my world does. Hey, did I mention you're the queen of my world?"

"Really? I don't think I'd make a good queen, you know. Now, a dictator… I would kick ass at being a dictator."

"Maybe you should take over the world then."

"Ooh, politics. Dangerous subject darling." She slid into a southern belle accent towards the end of her sentence and I grinned at her as she slid into the passenger seat.

"Hey, we could be like Pinky and the Brain." I suggested.

"Sure, you be Pinky and I'll be the Brain." She retorted quickly. Her smile was blinding as she looked at me and I couldn't help but return it.

"So if I take over the world, will you be my bodyguard?"

"Sure. The body guard that is secretly your lover, of course."

"Oh of course. I wouldn't have it any other way. You'll be the head of my security then. I'll be unstoppable."

"I'm starting to get scared now." I told her. "I might have to plan a revolt."

"You wouldn't dare. I'd be forced to withhold sex to keep such a thing from happening and then you wouldn't be able to think straight since you'll be so frustrated and I'll parade about in all my lingerie that I knew you like…"

I laughed loudly as she shot me a come hither look but tried to stifle it when I saw her pout.

"How did we go from Pinky and the Brain to you parading about in lingerie? Not that I'm complaining, of course. You could spend the rest of your life parading around in lingerie in front of me. I don't mind."

"Yeah, neither would Embry or Jake or…"

"They know better." I reminded her with an easy chuckle. "I'd rip their eyeballs out."

"But by then the image will already be in their heads and they won't need their eyeballs to see it."

"The image is already ingrained in my head and if you don't stop your teasing I'm going to pull this car over and show you how much I like it."

"Promises, promises." She chuckled breathily and when I looked over at her I saw the glazed look in her eyes as she stared up at me.

"Come on, minx. We're here."

I helped her out of the car and held onto her hand as we pushed past the people by the door. I could feel her tensing up as people turned to look at her and banged into her and I wrapped an arm around her waist, keeping her as close to my side as humanly possible.

"I'm okay." She assured me as we found the table the others were at. I nodded and watched as she took a seat next to Leah and a dark haired girl who looked vaguely familiar and who was being watched closely by Embry. I raised an eyebrow at him and he shrugged, shooting me a huge smile.

"You want a drink, baby?" I whispered into Abby's ear. She nodded and I set off towards the bar, wallet in hand. A dark haired bartender shot me a flirty look as she leaned over the counter to take my order. I spoke quickly, ignoring the fact that she kept leaning forward and that she was about two seconds from falling out of her shirt.

"Be right back, sugar." She flounced away and I looked around frantically for Jared. I used to love this type of attention but now, with Abby across the room, I couldn't stomach the sultry smiles and obvious flashing of flesh. I spotted Jared across the bar and motioned for him. He strode past the dark haired girl, getting his own flirty smile.

"What's up? Did Kim drive up here with you guys?"

"No, she said she'd be up with Emily and Sam later. Can you keep her away from me please?"

"Who, Ruby? I know. She's new and despite my numerous telling her I have a girlfriend, she hasn't given up. She determined to show me 'what a real woman can do'."

I couldn't help but chuckle as she approached us again, carrying a drink in each hand. She set them in front of me with a wink and another smile.

"So, Jared, introduce me to your friend." She reached a hand out and pretended to pull a stray thread off my shirt and I forced myself not to over react and jump backwards, away from the invasion of my personal space. Her hand lingered for longer than was comfortable or polite, her fingers playing with the buttons. I took a step back and stared in horror at Jared who was trying to stifle his laughter as he looked over my shoulder.

"If you don't get your hands off my boyfriend the only thing you'll be introduced to is my fist." Abby was suddenly beside me, an eyebrow raised as she coolly gazed the girl up and down.

"Who are you?"

"I would have thought the fact that I said 'my boyfriend' would have given it away but since you're obviously too dense to pick it up from that statement, I'm his girlfriend. And the singer of the band that's playing tonight so why don't you run off like a good little girl and tell Joe we're here."

If looks could kill, Abby would be lying on the floor as Ruby stalked away. I shot Abby an amused look and she shrugged with a smirk.

"Right, because if it had been me up here, flirting with a bartender you wouldn't have stalked over and staked your claim?"

"I wasn't complaining." I held my hands up in surrender before dropping a kiss on her lips. "In fact I should thank you. If she'd touched me again I might have had to push her away and I hate hurting people's feelings."

"That is such a crock of bull." Abby laughed. "Come on, Mark and all have arrived."

After lifting our drinks and saying goodbye to Jared, I followed Abby towards the back of the bar, where the staff room was. Mark and Alex and their other band mate were inside, talking loudly. Or rather, Mark and the guy I didn't know were talking while Alex sat on an amp and stared at the wall sullenly. They looked up when Abby pushed open the door and Mark was beside her in seconds, lifting her up and spinning her around.

"Damn honey, you look smokin'." He grinned at her and I reminded myself that he was her best friend and I owed him more than I could ever repay him so in no way should I punch him for touching my girl.

"Why thank you." She turned to the other guy and wrapped an arm around his neck in a casual hug. "Hey, Dave. How have you been?"

"Not bad. Nelly's pregnant."

"Wow, congratulations daddy." She hugged him again as he chuckled.

"You're looking good, Abby." He told her before slipping out of the room.

Alex had stood up and was shuffling from foot to foot, looking at Abby as if she was an apparition rather than a real, live person. Two quick steps and I was between them, allowing Alex to only see a little bit of her. I felt her hands fisting in my shirt at the back and I could practically feel the rage and hurt and fear pouring out of her in waves.

"Abby." If he took one more step towards her I was going to rip his arms off and beat him with them. He stopped a few feet away, his gaze flicking from the ground to Abby and back again.

"How could you do it?" Her voice was soft and sad and I wanted to hurt him for breaking the good mood she had been in for days.

"I'm so sorry, I had no idea…"

"No, you didn't. You didn't know anything about me or Paul or our relationship. All you cared about was the fact that I was over you. I could have died, Alex. Paul could have died. Did you think that if he'd got hurt I would just come running back to you for comfort?" Her hurt had all but disappeared, leaving her with only anger. "From now on, outside of the band, I want nothing to do with you. Don't call me, don't drop by the café or the apartment… just leave me alone."

"Abby, wait, please. I didn't mean for any of this to happen."

"No, but it happened anyway. And sorry doesn't make up for it." She turned on her heel and strode out of the room, grabbing my hand and pulling me behind her. She was shaking by the time we made it back to the table and I pulled her onto my lap as we sat down, ignoring the questioning looks from Jacob and Sam.

"Paul, this is Alicia." Embry motioned towards the dark haired girl by his side and I smiled at her. I didn't need another imprint to be afraid of me; Seth's girl still couldn't sit in a room with me without casting scared glances at him every few seconds.

"So, Abby, Embry and Leah tell me you're going to be getting up to sing in a few minutes?" Alicia asked with a shy smile and Abby nodded.

"Yeah, as soon as I get some liquid courage into me." She held up her glass and Alicia chuckled and nodded.

"Rather you than me." She mock shivered with fear and Abby chuckled.

"Speaking of, it's time to go." Mark appeared behind us suddenly and held a hand out to Abby. She kissed me softly on the lips before following Mark towards the stage, smiling and waving at the people who called out to her as they passed.

"Dude, you're drooling." Jacob muttered from behind me. I ignored him and kept my eyes on Abby as she climbed easily onto the stage, ignoring Alex when he tried to speak with her and heading straight for the microphone.

She was so enigmatic when she was on stage. She shook her hair out slightly and wrapped her hand around the microphone stand as her eyes scanned the crowd. She found mine and winked quickly, her lips curving up in a smirk. I couldn't help the silly, love struck smile that slid over my mouth as I watched her. I could barely make out what she was saying and before I knew it, her soft, husky, perfect voice was filling the room, sending shivers down my spine and making me smile.

_Whenever I'm alone with you_

_You make me feel like I am home again_

_Whenever I'm alone with you_

_You make me feel like I am whole again_

_Whenever I'm alone with you_

_You make me feel like I am young again_

_Whenever I'm alone with you _

_You make me feel like I am fun again_

_However far away, I will always love you_

_And however long I stay, I will always love you_

_Whatever words I say, I will always love you_

_I will always love you_

Her eyes met mine during the song and stayed there throughout the rest of the set, capturing my attention and making it impossible for me to think of anything other than the fact that she was up there, singing to me. It was a sensation I didn't think I would ever get used to and I wasn't sure I wanted to; whenever she sang to me my stomach began clenching and unclenching, my breathing slowed and I felt as if I lived in a cocoon, just me and Abby. That wasn't something I wanted to change anytime soon, or ever.


	23. Dancing In The Moonlight

Sorry for the long wait again! i've actually had the majority of this written for a while but haven't had a chance to add the finishing touches to it! not long left in this story and then i think i'll attempt an Embry/ Alicia one if your all still interested. The song at the end belongs to Thin Lizzy.

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I smirked to myself as Paul unconsciously raised his hand to pull at the collar of the shirt he had insisted on wearing. His hair had been tied back and he had even put a tie on for the occasion, making him look stuffy and formal, a look not suited to werewolves who were over six foot and extremely muscular and broad shouldered. Once inside the restaurant I nodded to the hostess and pulled Paul by the hand towards the large table in the corner of the upscale restaurant.

"I told you not to wear the tie." I reminded him as we sat down and he continued to tug at his collar.

"I want to make a good impression." He insisted for the fourth time in as many hours.

"I don't see why, it's not like they're going to leave you with a good impression of them." I muttered as I looked around.

My step mother had called the night before and informed me that Charlotte, my eldest step sister, had just gotten engaged and that the family was going out to celebrate in their favourite restaurant. With his stupid sensitive hearing, Paul had listened in on the entire conversation from the kitchen and insisted we join them. He wanted to meet my family, to see if they really were as bad as I made them out to be while I wanted to protect him from their snobbishness and condescending attitude. Although having a werewolf with me was comforting; if any of them pissed me off, I could always get Paul to eat them.

I smiled humourlessly at the thought and turned to Paul with a soft smile. He looked so uncomfortable in his suit, looking around the restaurant with a slightly vulnerable look on his face and I couldn't resist entwining our fingers on top of the table.

"Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?" He murmured, lifting my hand to his lips and kissing the back of it softly.

"You have but I could do with hearing it once more before the wicked step mother shows up and begins shredding my self confidence."

Paul shook his head and wrapped his hand around the back of my neck, pulling my face up to his. "You're stunning. The most amazing, beautiful woman I have ever met. You funny and clever and you have the voice of an angel. If they can't see that then it's their loss and my gain because it means I have more time with you all for myself."

I could feel my insides melt as he kissed me slowly and intensely, his lips warm and soft against mine.

"Public displays of affection are so juvenile Abigail, please refrain."

I badly wanted to deepen the kiss, to wrap my fingers in Paul's hair and give them a floor show that would leave them reeling but I could feel him slowly pulling away.

Susan and my father stood behind me, a smirk on her face and a painful grimace on his. Charlotte and her new fiancé, Peter, were sitting at the table opposite us, lost in one another as they conversed quietly. Adrienne and her boyfriend of six years stood behind my dad and Susan, waiting to pass to get to their seats.

"I do apologise, Susan, but I couldn't resist. Paul's just such a damn good kisser that it's hard not to jump him." I told her with as sickly a sweet smile as I could manage. She rolled her eyes in exasperation and sat down next to my father, leaving Adrienne and Damien to sit on the other side of Paul.

"You're looking a little dishevelled." Susan sniffed down her nose at me before casting a critical eye over Paul. "Couldn't you have worn a nicer dress?"

"You must be Paul," Adrienne slid a hand out for him to shake, her eyes blatantly trailing over his body. "What did you do in a previous life that was so bad you got stuck with Abby in this one?"

"Oh Adrienne dear," Susan chuckled. "Don't tease your sister."

"I don't think she was teasing and she isn't my sister." I snapped before I could stop myself. What was it about these people that brought out the very worst in me? This was the first time I had faced them sober since I was about sixteen and I was beginning to regret letting Paul talk me out of the pre dinner drinks I had wanted to stop for.

"Abigail, is there any need for the hostility? Really?" Adrienne smirked at me, her dark eyes narrowing.

"When you're looking my boyfriend up and down like you want to devour him? Yeah, there is a real need for hostility." I smirked in triumph as she flushed in embarrassment and turned to Damien to whisper furiously, no doubt about how much of a liar I was.

"So, Paul, what is it you do?" Susan asked once the waitress had taken our orders and left again.

"I'm between jobs at the minute. I had a big… family emergency recently that didn't leave me with very much time to work so I had to quit." I slid my hand onto his leg and smiled up at him when he turned his gaze to me.

"Isn't that typical? She always attracts the no good scroungers." I heard Susan mutter to my father and I raised my head to glare at her. I saw Paul's face flush but couldn't tell if it was from anger or humiliation. Not that I cared because either way, I was not going to let her embarrass him like that. Not Paul.

"Why don't you try saying that a little louder, Susan? I don't think the people on the other side of the room heard you." I snapped at her. She turned to look at me, one perfectly plucked blonde eyebrow raised in a challenge.

"Really, Abigail, there is no need to be so rude." My father told me sternly.

"My name is Abby. It's not Abigail." I reminded him.

"Must you always be so dramatic?" Adrienne sighed with a roll of her eyes. "And what has you sober tonight? Aren't you usually tanked at this time of the night?"

It was only six thirty. I could see Charlotte and Peter beginning to pay attention to the table and bit my lip to stop my retort. This wasn't about me, it was about them. Charlotte had always gotten along with me, much better than her mother and sister had, and I respected her a hell of a lot more than either of them. I wanted to be happy for her and Peter; I didn't want to embarrass them in front of the people they spent their time with.

"No response? This is a first." Adrienne chuckled lightly. "I wish I'd brought a video camera."

"Are you always this much of a bitch or is this a special show because I'm here and you want to show off your not so razor sharp wit?"

I turned to gape at Paul as he glared at a speechless Adrienne. Damien glared at him, cracking his knuckles lightly and making my laugh.

"Yeah, sure Damien, as if you could take Paul. He could stand on you like the little bug that you are."

"That's enough." My father bit out. "Can't we have a nice family meal without all of this bickering. And, Paul was it? I would appreciate it if you didn't speak to my daughter like that."

That was it. I had had enough of this crap. Ten minutes into the meal and we were already at each other's throats. I turned to Paul, slipping my hand on to his now shaking arm and rubbing soothingly.

"She's not your daughter. I am… or I was at one point." I kept my eyes on Paul's as I stood up, pulling strength from his warmth and the feel of his arm as it slid around my waist. "But from now on, why don't we just pretend that we have nothing to do with each other? You're obviously ashamed of me and right now, I'm ashamed of you. You don't even know my damn name, dad. You never once bothered to call and ask why I showed up to all those dinners drunk. You have never defended me in a fight between me and Susan and you know what, I get that now. Obviously her and her perfect little twin girls are better for you and your reputation so why don't you consider yourselves a nice four-piece family now."

I gave them all one last disgusted look before following Paul towards the door. They were silently watching as I stopped behind Charlotte's chair.

"I'm happy for you two. Make sure you tell me where you've registered."

"I want you at the wedding, Abs." Charlotte murmured. I smiled sadly and shook my head.

"Even my ego can only take so many insults and snide remarks." I told her. "And tonight I've reached my limit." I glanced back up at my dad and shook my head.

"The reason my boyfriend is unemployed is because I nearly died. _He _gave up his job to look after me. _He_ was the one who made sure I stayed alive. Where the hell where you?"

I walked away without a look back, slipping my arm through Paul's as we walked into the hot air. We were parked a few blocks away and we walked towards the car in silence.

"I'm sorry I made you go tonight." He murmured softly.

"I needed to do it." I told him. "I guess part of my always thought that at some point my dad would come to his senses and see how much of a bitch she is but I don't think he's ever going to. And I have my own family now. Who accept me for who I am and what I do." I smiled softly as he held open the car door for me and I climbed inside.

"The guys are at a barbecue at the beach, you want to head there?" I nodded and we drove in silence until we had left the city.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that." I whispered, keeping my eyes on the road in front of us. "I should never have put you through it."

"Hey, I want to know everything about you and that includes wicked step mothers and ugly step sisters."

I chuckled at his words as he swung the car out of the restaurant's car park. We drove for a while with only the radio filling the silence; Paul kept his eyes on the road and his hand on my knee and I looked out the side window, wondering how it had all gone wrong. I hadn't wanted to go out tonight but once Paul had persuaded me to go I had convinced myself that it would be… bearable. Paul would be with me and I was sure that Susan and Adrienne would have backed off a little in the company of a stranger but of course not. Evil can't hide. And to think Paul considers himself a monster.

I snorted and shook my head, pulling my thoughts away from such a depressing topic. As far as I was concerned, me and that family were finished. I would change my number tomorrow on my lunch break and that would be the end of it. Of course my brain didn't listen to my rational side and I continued to pick at everything Susan and Adrienne had said that night, so much so that by the time we reached the beach in La Push I as thoroughly pissed off again.

Paul wrapped an arm around me as we headed towards the large bonfire on the cliff that the boys used to cliff dive. It was just beginning to get dark and I looked up at the clear sky, smiling at the sight of hundreds of twinkling stars.

"They don't hold a candle to you." Paul told me when he caught me staring. I grinned at him and leapt onto his back, laughing when he caught me easily and carried me up the steep climb that way. He sat me down when we got to the top with no sign of exertion or sweat and I reached up to kiss him softly before heading towards the scattering of logs and people. Paul headed towards Jacob and Sam, who were manning the barbecue.

I sat on a log by myself, ignoring the conversations that were going on around me as I stared into the bright flames, lost in thought. It wasn't until she cleared her throat that I even realised that Leah had sat down beside me and was giving me one of her sarcastic, 'I'm about to make fun of you', smiles.

"Penny for them?"

"Isn't it a cent?"

"What?" She looked confused and I chuckled.

"Well, we always say a penny for your thoughts but we don't deal in pennies, so shouldn't it be a cent for your thoughts?"

"Okay…" She drew the word out for a few seconds before shaking her head. "Anyway, a cent for them?"

I laughed and she grinned at me. Leah's joking, playful side was usually kept well under wraps when she was surrounded by the rest of the pack and I was grateful that she was willing to come out of her shell to cheer me up.

"Dinner with the folks didn't go so well."

"Yeah?"

"Yep. She called Paul a scrounger… as if I have anything to scrounge. I told my dad that I almost died and that Paul was the one who saved me and that we should just pretend we don't exist to each other from now on."

Repeating it now, outside of the restaurant and without the protection of my angry haze, it felt so much more final. Could I really spend the rest of my life without seeing my dad? As flawed as he was, he was still my father.

"Dude, that's… kinda intense." She muttered. I nodded in agreement and we sat in silence for awhile.

"You know what we should do?"

"What?" I asked, looking at Leah in confusion. She had this huge smile on her face and her eyes were lit up. "Dude, what is up with you tonight?"

"I imprinted!" She blurted out. "On a guy that started working with me yesterday. He's amazing!"

"Wow! Leah that's amazing. Congratulations!" I hugged her as she giggled into my shoulder. "When can I meet him?"

"Well that's the thing, I want to ease him into this. I don't want to overwhelm him suddenly with all this wolf talk. He's taking me out tomorrow night and then I was thinking of inviting him to Sam and Emily's anniversary party next week to meet everyone."

"Yay, I can't wait to meet him." She beamed at me and I smiled.

"It's put everything into perspective, you know? I don't think I can ever fully forgive Sam and Emily for what they did but at least now I knew he couldn't resist. I have never felt anything as powerful as what I feel for him."

"I'm happy for you Leah. Hey, how's Alicia taking the whole imprinting thing?"

Leah groaned and shook her head.

"Yeah, turns out she has a serious boyfriend. Embry is not best pleased. I've never heard of the guy until Alicia asked me if I could tell Embry to stop stalking her."

I giggled and shook my head as Leah chuckled. "Maybe she's making him up as an excuse?"

"Maybe. We should find out before Embry drives us all insane with his whining."

Paul approached us then, taking my hand and pulling me up. I waved goodbye to a still smiling Leah and followed him down the cliff.

"You're gonna marry me, right?"

I stared up at him in shock, a smile slowly spreading across my face. He had led us onto the beach and the setting was so absolutely perfect for a proposal that I half thought I was dreaming. The moonlight lit up the sand until it was almost silver and it light a path across the water. There was a slight cool breeze that lifted my hair away from my skin and I shivered from both it and the intensity in Paul's eyes.

"Is that some sort of proposal?" I asked with a soft grin. He shrugged, his eyes fathomless as he watched my face.

"It's a proposal to propose. I want to do it right, with a ring and all. I just need to know for sure that you're going to be mine forever."

The possessive intent in his voice should have bothered me but it didn't. It made me shudder with acute pleasure and reach up and wrap my arms around his neck.

"Sorry to say you're stuck with me." I told him. He wrapped his hands around my waist and swayed me to invisible music. I grinned at him and twirled under his arm, singing softly as he dipped me until my hair touched the sand. This was exactly how I wanted to spend the rest of my life. Paul had turned a completely forgetful, horrible night into something sweet and romantic and utterly perfect. What else could I ask for?

_But I'm dancing in the moonlight_

_It's caught me in its spotlight_

_It's alright, alright_

_Dancing in the moonlight_

_On this long hot summer night _


	24. Hallelujah

I apologise, once again, for the long wait. I work in a shop and as you can guess, the xmas period is crazy. Anyway, hope you enjoy. i'm thinking only one more chapter after this and then maybe a one shot about their wedding. Maybe. After the new year.

The song in this chapter belongs to Leonard Cohen but i listened to the jeff buckley version while writing as it is the best.

Please read and review.

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"Do we have to go? Can't we just stay here and… y'know?"

Abby groaned loudly as I pressed myself against her, further trapping her between my body and the hallway wall. Her legs, clad in thin fishnet stockings, were wrapped tightly around my waist while one of her hands was wrapped in my hair and the other was currently digging the nails into my shoulder. I lowered my head to her collarbone and bit lightly, soothing the sting with my tongue and listening to the noises she made. A soft moan and a slight gasp as my tongue flicked against her skin. A light, husky growl as my hand slipped further up her half covered thigh.

"Paul, stop… please. You have to stop."

Her voice was soft and breathy, sending shivers down my spine. I crushed my lips to hers, swallowing her sighs as I stroked the soft skin on her thigh. There was nothing in the world that could compare to this; to having Abby in my arms and being able to kiss and caress her as much as I wanted. I could have spent the rest of my life like this but unfortunately fate had other plans and just as I was debating on ripping Abby's silky black dress down the middle the doorbell rang shrilly.

"Damn damn damn damn." Abby groaned, tightening her grip on my neck and waist.

"Dude, hurry the fuck up." Embry's voice boomed from outside the door. He sounded pissed off again. He had been perpetually pissed off since he found out the girl he imprinted on was practically married to another guy and wasn't interested in him beyond friendship. Not that I could blame him of course. I looked down at Abby and wondered what I would have done if she had been seriously involved with someone. Pain seared across my chest and I tightened my grip momentarily on her hips before sliding her down the wall slowly, listening to her ridiculously high heels clicking against the floor as she placed her feet back on the ground and sighed.

"Always getting interrupted these days. I think God's conspiring against us."

I nodded with a chuckle and pulled away slightly, looking around for the shirt she had thrown across the room after I picked her up. It was Sam and Emily's anniversary party and rather than have a bonfire like they usually did, they were holding a party in Joe's. Embry banged his fist on the door and I growled as I pulled it open, letting it slam into the wall as I glared at him. He stared stonily back at me, his arms crossed and his foot tapping lightly.

"What is your problem?" I hissed, taking a step closer. First he interrupted and now he was being an asshole.

"Paul, don't." Abby placed her cool hand on my arm and I turned back to her, taking in her flushed face and swollen lips. There was a slight mark on her collarbone and I smiled, reaching a finger towards it.

"Whoops."

She looked down and frowned before her face flooded with colour and she rushed to a mirror.

"You're an animal." She commented with a chuckle, reaching into her make up bag and patting her collarbone with some sort of translucent powder. It worked and the bite mark was barely noticeable.

"Alright boys, let's go." She slipped her leather jacket on and took my hand, leading me out while staying between Embry and me.

"Give him a break." She muttered to me when he had climbed into the front seat of the car and slammed the door loudly, making Abby jump and me growl in response. I didn't respond well to people scaring her and had gotten into two fights because of it, once with Jacob and once with Seth.

I pulled her against my side as we sat in the back seat of the car and she rested her head against my shoulder, smiling up at me from under her eyelashes. It was a seductive look and if we hadn't been sitting, a look that could drive me to my knees before her. Her eyes were soft in the fading light and her lips looked soft and inviting. I wished we were back at home, holed up in our bedroom. I could almost picture her beneath me, her hair sticking to the sweat on her neck as she arched her body against mine, driving me insane with need as I forced myself to slow down for her sake, so that I could prolong her pleasure.

I shut my eyes against the image and tightened my grip on her body, forcing myself to take deep, calming breaths. She giggled knowingly, her hand resting lightly on my thigh.

"God, can't keep their hands off each other for more than five freaking seconds." Embry's voice was too low for Abby to hear but I heard it perfectly and turned to him with a warning growl. He was not going to make me feel bad about wanting my imprint just because his didn't want him.

"What's wrong?" Abby asked me quietly, picking up on my sudden down turn in mood.

"Embry's being an asshole." I replied darkly, still glaring at the back of his head.

"Hey, asshole, did anyone ever tell you that you collect more flies with honey rather than vinegar?" She raised her voice and glared at Embry when he glanced at her in the rear view mirror.

"What the hell does that mean?" He snapped and my responding growl was louder.

"It means that if you act like a spoilt, bitter child around Alicia she certainly won't be tempted to leave that boyfriend of hers for you."

He was silent as he contemplated her words, his eyes thoughtful as he drove.

"I can't help it." He finally sighed. "It's just… it's tearing me apart. The thought of him near her… touching her; I can't help but want to tear him apart."

"Okay, I get that. Kinda. But you have to put that aside and become the charming, charismatic guy that I know you can be. Show her why she should chose you over him. Oh thank God, we're here. Now Embry listen to me. No brooding, no stalking, no snapping at people in front of her, no glaring, no…"

"Okay, I get the point." For the first time in over a week, there was a smile on Embry's face and his eyes were lit up again.

"Good. Now stick to those rules and maybe, _maybe_, she'll give you a shot. But don't badmouth her boyfriend. That's a big rule." Abby pointed her finger in Embry's face and I bit back a laugh as he nodded his head earnestly. She gave him a final nod before climbing out of the car.

I followed closely behind her, keeping her small hand encased in my own as we walked in to the bar. Sam and Emily had the place packed out; there was the pack and their imprints along with half the La Push reservation and friends and family had come down from the Makah rez.

"Oh my God, there's Leah and Joseph. I'm going to say hi!" Abby kissed me quickly on the cheek and rushed off to where Leah and her imprint stood beside Alicia. I watched with a smile as she hugged the two girls and stuck her hand out to greet Joseph.

"Hey man, where'd Abby go?"

Embry followed me towards the bar, his eyes shifting to where Abby stood with Alicia every few seconds. I ordered us both a drink and then pulled myself on to a stool and joined him in his staring.

"You know." I said after a few minutes of drinking silently. "I think this might be what Abby meant about stalking."

Embry scowled at me but turned away, pretending to concentrate on Emily and a tall, dark haired girl who looked like her. I saw his eyes dart across the room to Alicia and was suddenly very glad that Abby was mine and I could stalk her without the fear of her calling me a weird freak and banning me from coming near her.

She must have felt my gaze on her because she turned to me with a small smile that I knew was just for me. I felt my skin warm as her gaze slid over me. She licked her lips and suddenly there was too much distance between us. I needed to be closer to her; right next to her; touching her.

I sat my glass on the bar and, ignoring Embry's annoyed "hey, man!" made my way towards Abby. She turned to me as I reached her, her hands sliding up my shirt, cool and soft against my skin. She leant against me, smiling up at me from under her lashes again.

"Come on, let's go see Kim and Jared." I whispered to her. She waved goodbye to Alicia and Leah and followed me across the room.

"When are you singing?" Kim asked as soon as we sat down at their table. Abby shrugged, accepting the drink that Jared pushed towards her.

"Soon, I guess. Mark said he'd drop by with the guitar and we could do a couple of unplugged numbers so I guess I'm waiting on him. Why, you want to get up and sing with me?"

"What me? No! Nuh uh. No chance."

I chuckled as Kim's face turned bright red and she shook her head fiercely. Abby grinned and took another sip of beer as her eyes scanned the small bar.

It was over an hour later before I lifted her onto the stage. She winked at me in thanks and accepted the mic that Mark held out for her, sitting on the stool that Sam had placed onstage for her earlier in the night. Emily had asked her to sing a few weeks ago and Abby had said no, at first, out of loyalty to Leah but, in a surprising turn, Leah had pushed her to agree. It had stunned the entire pack and Leah snapped at anyone who brought it up but it was her who had convinced Abby to do it.

I took my seat at the table again, glaring at an older guy who was commenting on Abby's legs from where she stood behind me. Mark began playing and I relaxed as Abby sang, her familiar voice soothing my nerves. She sat perfectly still, more still than I had ever seen her before, and she kept her eyes on the back of the bar.

_(Yeah but) Baby I've been here before_

_I've seen this room and I've walked this floor, (You know)_

_I used to live alone before I knew ya_

_And I've seen your flag on the marble arch_

_And love is not a victory march_

_It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah_

_Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah_

_Well there was a time when you let me know_

_What's really going on below_

_But now you never show that to me do ya_

_But remember when I moved in you_

_And the holy dove was moving too_

_And every breath we drew was Hallelujah_

_Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah_

_Well maybe there's a God above,_

_But all I've ever learned from love_

_Was how to shoot somebody who outdrew ya_

_And it's not a cry that you hear at night_

_It's not somebody whose seen the light_

_It's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah_

_Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah_

Her voice was perfect, hitting every single note without hesitation. It was almost heartbreaking and I could see Emily's mother had tears in her eyes as she listened. Emily had picked a pretty depressing soundtrack for the evening, Abby had told me with a grimace, but they were some of her favourite songs and Abby hadn't wanted to argue with her. I glanced across the room to see Sam and Emily sitting with each other, her head tucked under his chin as she sang along softly and his hand softly stroking her hair. Leah stood a few feet away, oblivious to what was happening around her as she stared up at Joseph. All around me the pack was settling down, I realised with a smile. Sure, it would be a long time before any of us were ready to stop phasing and give up the wolf sides of our personality but most of had found our mates; we were moving in together, getting read to settle down for the rest of our lives. It as a comforting thought. I no longer thought of myself as an angry freak who was likely to lash out and hurt someone for saying one wrong word to me. I had a purpose in life now… I had my own life now. Abby was the centre of my universe and looking after her was the only thing I was interested in doing from here on out.

I watched intently as she sang song after song, never once slowing down or pausing for longer than a few seconds. Unlike her gigs, there were no short introductions from her between songs, whether it was because Emily didn't want her to say anything or because Abby didn't want to, I didn't know. When she was finally finished, she stood and smiled at the room before turning to say a few words to Mark. Scattered applause broke out as people realised there was no more and the, far inferior, DJ began playing again. Abby climbed off the stage and wandered towards me, stopping briefly to hug Emily and Sam.

"Can we go home now? I'm tired." She whispered against my cheek as I wrapped my arms around her. I nodded and tightened my grip, leading her towards the door.


	25. First Time Ever I Saw Your Face

I know its been a while but i just haven't been able to write anything good for this story since Xmas. This isn't my best chapter but i didn't want to leave you in suspense for any longer.

I'm not 100% sure of who owns First Time I Saw Your Face but this version is by Johnny Cash

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"Oh my God!"

I sat up straight, my eyes scanning the blurry room for the source of the noise. Kim stood at the wind, a horrified look on her face. Her green face mask was cracking as her mouth lay open in shock.

It was then that I noticed the heavy pounding on the roof. Rain. Heavy, lashing rain.

I exchanged a look with Emily and we stood up slowly, not making any sudden movements as we crept towards Kim.

"It's raining." She muttered, turning to us with tears in her eyes. "I'm getting married in five hours, in a damn gazebo in my back garden and it looks like Seattle outside!"

She ended her sentence with a shriek and I reached a soothing hand towards her arm.

We had stayed at Kim's place last night while the boys stayed at Sam and Emily's. After eating pizza and a mountain of chocolate (with the exception of Kim who was afraid her dress wouldn't zip up), we had watched terrible DVDs from our youth and talked until midnight, when Emily lay down the law and sent us all to bed. Yesterday had been the hottest day of the summer and today… wasn't shaping up too well.

I took a step back and surveyed Kim as she let Emily smooth her hair down. Her bottom lip was quivering and I knew she would be crying before long.

"Okay, Kim, what do you want to do?" I asked softly. "We can try getting somewhere else, like the hall, or we can pray the rain stops and hope for the best. It's entirely up to you."

She looked at me, tears gathering in her eyes. "Oh God it's a disaster."

"Sweetie, you're marrying the man you love. A little rain isn't going to change that." Emily told her.

"But I wanted it to be so perfect. Everything was planned out… my parents even flew back from Miami to be here! And now it's raining and the grounds going to be muddy…"

We were silent as she cried quietly. Emily kept her arm around her shoulders and shot me a helpless look.

_I'm going to call the boys_ I mouthed and she nodded.

I left them in the room and headed towards the kitchen to where I had dumped my bag the night before. Digging out my phone, I quickly dialled the number I knew off by heart and waiting on someone picking up.

"'ello?" Quil sounded so grumpy that I chuckled to myself.

"Have you guys seen the weather?"

"We've heard it, how's Kim… Dude, I was talking!"

"Emily? Abby? Is Kim okay?" Jared's voice was filled with so much worry that I sighed. The two of them were acting like a little rain was the end of the world. They were getting married today, they could at least act happy.

"She's freaking out about the gazebo and the mud. Any ideas?" I asked.

He swore and I grinned. Jared didn't curse very often and it was always funny when he did for some reason. He was the opposite of Paul, whose every other word was 'fuck' or worse.

"Is that Abby? Give me the phone." This time it was Paul's voice as Jared protested.

"Hey baby." I shivered as his voice shot through every nerve cell in my body. A year and a half together and he could still make me tingle down the phone. It was amazing.

"Hey honey."

"I missed you last night." His voice was soft and earnest and I couldn't help but chuckle as I heard Jake called out that he was whipped.

"I missed you too. I was so cold." I murmured. He sighed down the phone and I could practically picture the look on his face. His eyes would be closed, dark lashes resting against perfect copper skin. His mouth was parted slightly, his tongue darting out to wet the full bottom lip.

"What's going on over there?"

"Kim's having a meltdown because of the rain." I told him. I leaned against the kitchen wall and slid down until I was seated. "Emily's trying to calm her down but there isn't much we can do. I called to see if you guys had any ideas on how to fix it."

I heard Jared cursing loudly in the background and cursed the boys and their supersonic hearing.

"Tell her I'm coming over." I heard Jared call out.

"No! He can't. Is he trying to kill Kim?" I shrieked. I heard him curse again and assumed they had grabbed him. "Put him on the damn phone."

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I looked at my reflection in the full length mirror in our bedroom, smoothing down the forest green silk dress. I had bleached and dyed my hair red last week and loved the contrast between the green and my hair. Paul stood by the dresser, cursing softly as he fixed his tie.

It had taken an hour and a half but Emily and I had managed to convince Kim that it wasn't the disaster she thought it was. The rain had stopped forty minutes ago but the ground was disgusting. I had sent Paul out to test the mud and he had come back with a scowl and dark dirt stains up to his calf. Kim's dress… didn't bear thinking about. She had shown me the dress last week, a beautiful fairy tale inspired, white lace gown that had a train. A long, lace train that was going to end up black before the end of the day.

"You look stunning." I watched our reflection as Paul wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling my back flush against his chest. He rested his chin on the top of my head and met my eyes in the mirror, a smile on his face.

"This is going to be us soon." He murmured. "You in a gorgeous white dress and me in a damn suit."

I chuckled and turned, wrapping my arms around his neck. "Honey we can get married in our front yard and you can be butt naked if you want. I don't care about all the fuss and the drama. I just want to marry you."

He smiled down at me, a cheeky gleam in his eye. "Butt naked, huh? Will you be butt naked too?"

"Depends on whether or not you care about other people seeing me butt naked." I teased. His smiled disappeared into a frown.

"That's not funny."

"Sure it is. Now go put your shoes on or we're going to be late."

I watched as he grumbled and pulled the shiny shoes onto his feet. He stood and adjusted his collar once more before taking my hand and leading me out.

After locking the house up, we walked slowly towards Kim and Jared's house. I stayed on the gravel, holding my dress up with my hands so that it didn't brush against the muddy grass of the forest beside us.

"I'm going to go make sure Jared's okay." Paul whispered as we reached the front door. I nodded and accepted his soft kiss.

"You look so beautiful." He whispered before leaving. I grinned and watched his confident stride as he headed towards Jared's room.

I took a deep breath and headed towards the group of people who were standing by the back door, staring out at the men putting the finishing touches on the gazebo.

"It's not looking good." Leah muttered as I came to a stop beside her. Her and Joseph stood by the window, looking out. They looked perfect together, both dressed all in black. Joseph's hand rested lightly on Leah's shoulder and I bit back a smile. Leah had been a completely different person since she met Joe, well over a year ago now. While still slightly tense around Sam and Emily, Kim and Jared, Leah had opened up to the rest of the pack. She had become particularly good friends with Quil, bonding with him over her adoration for Claire.

"Have you seen Kim?" I asked, glancing around the room. People were hesitant to step outside and get their dresses or suits ruined. I spied Kim's brother in the corner, glaring at the window. He didn't approve of this wedding and had been running his mouth off to whoever would listen about it. It had come to a head when he bitched to Embry and Jacob about it and Jared heard him. I'm surprised he had the guts to show up today after Jared's threats. But there he was, along with his pretty blonde girlfriend who was not dressed for the weather.

I bit back a chuckle and headed from the room in search of the bride.

"Abby, come here."

I looked at the doorway that Emily stood in, perfectly dressed and made up for the day.

"Kim's having a melt down. The DJ hasn't bother to show up."

"Is that Abby?" I heard Kim's near hysterical voice and ducked into the hall, closing the door behind me before anyone else could see the bride having a nervous meltdown.

She was crying again, silent sobs that wrecked her body as she sat on the bed. She wasn't dressed yet but was perfectly made up. Her veil rested on her intricate hair do and the pale blue garter I had bought her rested on her bare thigh.

"Relax, okay? I'll call Mark and tell him to get his ass over here to DJ. All I need is the list of songs for dancing. What's yours and Jared's?"

"First Time Ever I Saw Your Face."

"Johnny Cash?"

Johnny Cash was the way Jared and Kim had come together, Paul had told me. It was an amazingly romantic story that made me swoon and want to listen to my collection of Johnny Cash records on a lazy, rainy day. I shook the thought out of my head and looked over at Kim. She was nodding slowly and I chuckled, drawing her attention.

"You sure you don't want to change it to November Rain?"

She glared at me before laughing, throwing herself down on the bed. Emily shot me a wary look and I shrugged, still grinning.

"Okay, now enough moping around, Kimberly. Get up and get dressed. The second hottest guy in the world is downstairs waiting on you to marry him." I told her as I reached for the door. "I'm going to call Mark and then I'm going to my seat and I expect to see you soon."

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My hair was plastered to my face and my dress was like a second skin. My mascara had run down my face long ago and there was mud streaked up to my knees. But I was having the time of my life as Leah told us the story about her cutting her hair when she found out what she was. It was a tragic story and yet the spin Leah put on it made it hilarious. The two of us sat at a table with Jacob, Embry, Quil and Seth. Joseph had an emergency at the hospital to go to and had left just after the ceremony. Since Paul was best man and off doing something important, Leah and I had decided to be each other's date for the rest of the evening.

The sound of metal against glass drew out attention and we all turned to the top table, watching as Paul stood up and nervously pulled at his shirt collar. His speech was short and sweet and as he started talking, his eyes found mine and my breath caught. He was glorious in his tux; the very definition of tall, dark and handsome. I beamed up at him and caught the amused look on his face.

He cleared his throat before starting. "I've known Jared my entire life. We've been best friends since we were four and we decided it would be fun to split the green crayon and eat it. By the time we got to high school, I thought I knew everything about him. But then Kim came along and I realised there was a lot I didn't know. I didn't know how much love he was capable of until I stumbled across him and Kim beneath the bleachers on the football field, wrapped in a blanket and listening to Johnny Cash. I realised then exactly how much he loved her and how much she loved him. They've been together ever since and there is no one more perfect for Jared than Kim. She's everything he could ever need or want in a wife." He paused and looked at me before turning to the happy couple. "To Kim and Jared. May the rest of their lives been happy and full of love." He raised his glass before slamming it back onto the table. There was a shriek of laughter from Kim as the table sank into the mud.

"Oh my God." I breathed, not sure how to take what I was seeing. Kim and Jared were laughing loudly as Paul looked sheepish.

"This is the most memorable wedding I've ever been to." Leah commented as we stood to make out way to the second gazebo that was set up for the reception.

I waved to Mark as he set up beside the DJ box.

"Could the bride and groom please take to the floor?" Mark announced as the opening strains of a familiar song filled the small tent.

_The first time ever I saw your face_

_I thought the sun rose in your eyes_

_And the moon and stars were the gifts you gave_

_To the dark and the empty skies, my love,_

_To the dark and the empty skies._

_The first time ever I kissed your mouth_

_And felt your heart beat close to mine_

_Like the trembling heart of a captive bird_

_That was there at my command, my love_

_That was there at my command._

They swayed gently together, Kim fitting perfectly against Jared's much larger body. I felt Paul sit next to me and leant my head against his shoulder.

"This will be us soon enough." He murmured against my ear. I chuckled and leant closer to his ear.

"I will not be dancing to Johnny Cash."

He chuckled and wrapped an arm around my stomach as we turned back to the scene on the dance floor. Kim was listening to something Jared was saying, a smile on her glowing face. For the first time that day, she looked truly happy and I found myself smiling along with her.


	26. Emotionally Yours

_Come baby, find me, come baby, remind me of where I once begun  
Come baby, show me, show me you know me, tell me you're the one  
I could be learning, you could be yearning to see behind closed door  
But I will always be emotionally yours_

_Come baby, rock me, come baby, lock me into the shadows of your heart  
Come baby, teach me, come baby reach me, let the music start  
I could be dreaming but I keep believing you're the one I'm living for  
And I will always be emotionally yours_

"The ceremony was absolutely gorgeous." I smiled at Kim as she wrapped her arms around my neck and squeezed tightly. Her pregnant belly protruded slightly, making the embrace a little uncomfortable.

"Thanks." I replied, accepting a hug off Jared as he passed us. He winked at me and dropped a quick kiss on my forehead, ignoring Paul's warning growl. I smirked up at him, my new husband, and he stuck his tongue out at me as he narrowed his eyes.

Giggling, I tucked my hand into the waistband of his pants and leaned closer to him as we waited on the rest of the guests making their way inside.

Billy Black and Sue Clearwater were next, Sue pushing Billy's chair and listening to him as he chatted animatedly.

"Billy, Sue. Thanks for coming." Paul greeted them with a warm smile. His reached down and clasped his hand tight in his own and listened as Billy muttered something before laughing loudly and straightening.

"That she is." Paul agreed with a nod and a glance in my direction. I smiled politely at Sue and Billy as they passed, not knowing either of them well enough to take part in a proper conversation with them.

Eventually we had greeted all our guests and were finally able to sit at our own private table at the head of the room. I kicked my painfully high sandals off under the table cloth and sighed in relief as my feet throbbed painfully.

Paul chuckled and pushed a strand of my hair, red for the occasion, out of my face.

"You're stunning." He murmured. I grinned and reached in for a quick kiss.

"Hey now, save that for the honeymoon." Mark snickered from the DJ box. I felt my face heat up slightly at the sound of laughter but refrained from pulling away.

Eventually the arrival of the food distracted us enough to force us to separate and I bit back a laugh as I saw Paul's grief stricken face.

"Where's the rest of it?"

I laughed loudly, drawing the attention to those closest to us as Paul stared, horrified, at his plate. It was the same size as mine and contained the same amount of food. All over the room, I could hear the werewolves mutter to each other about starvation and how I was picking on them. I could hear Emily and Kim giggling at the next table and turned to see the mutinous look Jared was throwing the waitress who had supplied his food to him.

"Did you do this on purpose?" Paul asked, flashing me a wounded look. I tried to bite back my giggles but the hurt expression on his face was too much for me to handle.

"Of course not! I told them I wanted large meals for everyone… I guess this is what they call large?" I chuckled again and Paul sighed.

"Give me some of yours? You'll never finish all of that."

I chuckled again but handed over my plate. When Paul had finished picking from it there was a few potatoes left, along with all the vegetables and a quarter of the meat. I rolled my eyes and dug in before he could try and take any more.

As we ate, various guests came up to the table and offered their congratulations on the ceremony.

"Will you be performing later?" Emily asked me as she leant against Sam.

I shrug and shot a look at Paul, who was busy lamenting the mediocre amount of food to Sam.

"I haven't decided yet. Maybe."

She smiled warmly and tugged on Sam's arm as they moved back towards their own table.

"Have I told you today how handsome you are in that suit, husband?" I asked Paul as he turned towards me. He smirked, his dark eyes lighting up as he looked me over.

"Not yet. Have I told you how stunning you look in that dress, wife?"

"A few times but a girl can always listen again." I smirked back. He grinned then, a sudden, genuine grin that made his eyes light up and showed the tiny dimple on his left cheek. It left me breathless and trembling, wondering, not for the first time, how I had managed to snag him.

It had been a little over two years since I had first met Paul and after the initial problem of him being a werewolf and all, we had settled into a routine. We lived on the Rez. a little bit away from Jared and Kim and about half a block from Sam and Emily. Joseph and Leah lived in the house across the yard from ours and were constantly coming and going. The house was small but it was a perfect blend of our personalities and tastes. We spent every possible moment together, separating only for work and when Paul had to go and patrol or when Leah dragged me out on our monthly girls' nights. I still played in the band occasionally and Paul always came to watch of course.

All in all, the last two years had been as close to perfect as they could ever be. I had been planning the wedding for the better part of six months, with Leah's help, and later tonight I had another surprise for Paul.

"Could I please ask the bride and groom to take the floor for their first dance?" Mark's voice rang throughout the room and I accepted Paul's hand as he led me towards the dance floor. As the familiar sound of _Baby, Baby_ filled the room, I let him pull me close.

He held one hand against the small of my back and the other had a tight grip on my fingers as we swayed.

"I love you."

"I love you too." He murmured against my hair as we moved.

Our guests had stood, standing around the dance floor as they watched us dance. I could make out Kim, Emily and Leah standing in a huddle, whispering with smiles on their faces and I shot them a dirty look that made them giggle.

As the song ended, we pulled apart and shared a smile. I was immediately swept up in a dance with Jared, who spun me around until I was dizzy and laughing.

"Okay, enough. Go pick on Kim for a while." I told him when the song had finished and we were catching our breath. Or rather, I was catching my breath and he was smirking at me. He chuckled and nodded, heading towards his five month pregnant wife. Leah approached me then, hugging me tight in the middle of the dance floor.

Although we had decided against having a wedding party, Leah had been my unofficial maid of honour. Although Emily and Kim had helped out, Leah had been by my side at half five in the morning, looking through dresses on the internet, or trying to pick the perfect playlist. She had been the one to suggest Mark DJed and had found me the beautiful gown I was now wearing. She had been by my side through the majority of the wedding planning and had been completely unfazed when I began screaming in frustration when things weren't going my way. She had held my hand when I cried when my dad's invitation had been sent back unopened and she had helped me hide the fact that I was so depressed about it from Paul.

A loud, upbeat song came over the speakers and Leah grinned at me, pulling me back out on to the middle of the dance floor.

As we spun each other around, singing along loudly and ignoring the looks we were receiving from the rest of the guests, I realised with a jolt that she was, without a doubt, the best friend I had ever had.

In fact, the more I thought about it, the more I couldn't picture my life without her in it. Or any of the pack, for that matter. They had gotten under my skin and into my heart without me really realising it until now. What would my life be without weekly dinner dates with Sam and Emily, or film nights with Jared, Kim and the single boys. I couldn't even imagine not babysitting Claire when her parents were out of town and Quil was out on patrol. And without having Leah and Joseph sharing the little yard between our houses, Paul and I probably have gone insane.

I stopped dancing, momentarily stunned by my sudden realisation. Paul took this opportunity to wrap his arms around my hips and pull my back against his chest. His hand rested low on my stomach, a possessive move that made me smile, rather than scowl at him as it usually did. Leah had wandered off to find Joseph and Mark had put a low, sultry song on that I recognised immediately. I turned around to face Paul and wrapped my arms around his neck, standing on my tip toes to reach his lips.

I hummed softly as he swayed us slowly, his fingers tightly wrapped around mine.

_It's like my whole life never happened,  
When I see you, it's as if I never had a thought.  
I know this dream, it might be crazy,  
But it's the only one I've got._

I sang softly, smiling when Paul buried his head in my shoulder and sighed against the bare skin of my neck. I had discovered, a long time ago, that Paul loved listening to me singing. It was unbelievable. I could be singing in the shower, and he would be sitting on the floor by the bathroom door when I came out, a goofy smile on his face as he gazed up at me and shrugged.

I continued to sing until the end of the song, content to just be in Paul's arms. He released me, slowly, once the song ended, with a heated gaze and a smirk. I smiled in return, wrapping my arm through his and allowing him to lead me off the floor.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in wishing the newly weds a happy honeymoon. It's been a while coming and there've been problems, but they're finally man and wife." Mark led the applause and Paul and I smiled and waved at everyone. It was the closest thing to a best man speech we were getting, and I was perfectly okay with that. I had just married the man of my dreams and I was pretty sure life couldn't get any better than this.

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_Author's Note_

I am sorry. I am well aware of how much i suck for abandoning this story for so long and the truth is i don't really have an excuse. I was re-reading Breaking Dawn and it made me so dis-illusioned about the entire series that i couldn't concentrate on Paul and Abby. I would have liked to draw this out for a few more chapters (and i might come back and do that at a later stage) but i cant continue it right now so i'm wrapping it up. I hve a _Supernatural_ plot bunny that is stalking me at the moment so i might give that a go. if any of you are still reading this and are fans of the show, keep an eye out.

The song belongs to the almighty Bob Dylan.

Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed this story. You're all amazing and once again, i know i suck.

Skellington


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